I was stumped....

 ...by a question a friend asked over coffee last Saturday. She asked, "What were your top 3 blessing for the past year?" It wasn't an overly difficult question. I can actually imagine friends raising their hands, jumping up and down, and shouting "me! me! me!", in their bid to answer that question. But there I was, stumped. I couldn't think of a thing to say. It wasn't that it was a bad year, far from it. In fact, it was a year when I came to terms with a lot of things about myself. So in a way, it was  a year littered with blessings.

I guess the 'top3' part was where I got stuck. I was looking at the year and tried to look at the big stuff, the amazing stuff, the unbelievable stuff that wowed people into silence. There was none that I could remember. I remember trips with friends that I found rejuvenating. I remember quality time with family that made me happy. And I remember quiet moments that made me think. So I thought about it and listened to their stories of renewed relationships, lives of service and fresh discoveries, as I thought about my relatively drama-free and uneventful year.

I am not, nor have I ever been overly-competitive. I'm no under-achiever either. I've had quite a number of victories in my life that gave me confidence and failures that turned out to be good things. But at that moment, as I sat there, I was thinking that maybe I don't ask enough of myself. Maybe I don't have enough focus. Maybe I should have better direction. Maybe I should start setting bigger goals for myself. Bigger than the next trip or the next holiday. But then I realized, I'm not that person.

I am ambitious, but in a different way. I find pleasure in simple things, but I am also amazed at the great ones. Spending time alone gives me peace, but being surrounded by family and close friends bring me joy. Going on short trips rejuvenate me, but planning long vacations gives me a thrill. This is the way I am. I thrive on the simple joys and amazing discoveries. They don't always match each other in number, but they are always present whether I choose to remember them or not. So this is what I resolved, I will make a list, a cheat sheet if you will. I will write highlights for each month so that when I get asked the question again, I can confidently raise my hand and say "me! me! me!"