The Truth is . . . It's Better than O.K.

I found myself on my favorite road again today . . . the trees are so full, yet I know they soon will be turning colors and falling asleep for the season. I've had a wonderful summer, my friends. Absolutely amazing. From trips to Wisconsin and New York, meeting blog friends, visiting museums, seeing movies on the big screen like Singin' in the Rain and Brave, to riding sky lifts and going to Cubs game, it's been one heck of an adventurous summer.

And driving down my road today, I felt this wonderful sense of calmness come over me. I took a deep breath, and exhaled . . . and it felt so good. Where I am right now . . . it's good. Life is Good. Really.

All of this reminded me of my "Keeping It Real" posts. It's been a while, don't you think? Ok . . . let's do it again, shall we? Here are just a few of the "Keeping It Real" thoughts that came into mind as I traveled down my favorite road today . . .

The truth is . . . I may never be a millionaire. Nope. Chances are highly unlikely that I will ever be able to walk into a car dealership and buy a car with cash, or a house for that matter. But . . . it's O.K. I work hard, I play hard, I will always have a roof over my head, food on my table, and clothes on my back. And for that . . . it's O.K.

The truth is . . . I may never be an artist selling my work like the Kelly Rae's, the Melody's, the Flora's, the Mati's, the Stacey's, the Donna's, the Christie's, and the Leigh's in the world. But it's O.K. Maybe that's not really what I want, after all. Maybe I just don't have the drive, the push, the stamina to do it at this point in my life. That doesn't mean that I am not an artist. Not at all. I am still an artist and I absolutely love making things that I feel in my heart. I have words I want to share in art that I want to create, and I will always be able to do that. I know that I am in control of my destiny, and maybe my destiny is just to do it like I am doing it now. I am selling what I want to sell, when I want to sell it. And if one person is touched by something I have created in this world - then I have succeeded. It's O.K.

The truth is . . . I may never do a cartwheel. I've come to terms with it. I mean, it's very unlikely that I will ever be able to do one. I've never quite been successful in the cartwheel department. I was an awkward tumbler in my youth, and just couldn't get those feet to catch me after flying in the air. It's O.K.

The truth is . . . I may never be skinny. Nope. I mean, sure I could probably lose a few. But size 8 skinny . . . nope . . . I may never be. And it's highly unlikely that I'll ever be able to wear a pair of Manolo Blahnicks. No way, no how. And . . . it's O.K.

The truth is . . . I love my life. Really. Whole heartedly. I am flawed. But I am real. And it's O.K.

It's better than O.K.

It's darn near perfect.

Join me . . . keep it real.

Always.