I'm very lucky.

I take a lot for granted. Every once in a while, I need a swift smack upside the head to remind me how incredibly lucky I am. Stupid chick hormones are running high, and I'm watching 20/20 on tv tonight. It's an episode about Camden, NJ, apparently the poorest city in the country.

I think I cried for the whole hour. Granted, I'm so much more sensitive when it comes to stories about kids since my little guy was born, but these stories were just so heart-breaking. This little 4-year old boy was so excited to go to school so he could learn how to read. So simple, and something that I take for granted every day. I can read, write, and often like to correct how others write (it's an annoying habit).

These are the stories I need to remember on a daily basis so that I can become a better person, a person who will make a difference in the world. It makes me very incredibly proud of my dad, who is making a difference in kids' lives every day. He is a great example for me to live by, and I realize that I need to find something in my life that gives me some ability to affect change in others.

I'm young, I don't necessarily have a set career...I do have a college degree and a good job (not in my major, but how many people really do anyway?). I learned from both of my parents that the way to define success in your career is to be passionate about your job, and I need to find that passion. Kind of a tangent, but I guess the fact that I can search for a career that I'm passionate about is just another thing that makes me lucky.

I guess all I'm trying to say is that I'm so appreciative of everything and everyone that makes up my life and makes it what it is...