So, since we are all here now, whether it's where we planned to be or not, what are some things in your life that give you joy and make it worthwhile? Despite my mother, (you can read my bitching about her in the "hey, listen up thread") I did get a Ph.D. despite her and a ton of other obstacles. I have a 7 year old daughter who is such a joy and we are in so many neat things together, music, a theatrical play, TaeKwonKo (she's proud she outranks me). I get to do things I really love, music, astronomy (don't ask me my sign, it's not astrology :) however, FYI, I'm a cancer), swim with sea creatures (it was cooool man), see great theater and art exhibits. I'm in pretty good health, even better since I keep dumping incompetent Drs. I have a job and great heath insurance. I love my work, even if my company suffers from very serious pathology. I have some good and caring friends. I got rid of all the psycho men in my life. I have a great counselor :). I love my pets. I'll be 43 in a month and someone thought I was a teenager. And my kid brother is paying for me and my daughter to come visit his family in England in August. It will be the first real vacation I've had since '89. Yeah!!!!

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

Answers

independence and strength. i love owning my own house, and taking care of it by myself, sans male counterpart. not that it wouldn't be nice to have one, but i'm really glad to have had the experience. (girls can use saber saws and orbital sanders too) as much as i dislike having to cut the playstation session short and go to bed so i can function at work the next day, i like my job because it enables me to be autonomous.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

My Mom rocks; she's #1 on my list of great things. Despite myriad financial limitations she's given me so many oppurtunites, such as taking me to Europe with her 3 times. She's brilliant and has great style. She gave me my self-confidence and my love of language and culture. She is always teaching herself new things; someday I hope to be even half as driven and creative as she is. Actually, a lot of this applies to my maternal grandmother as well. I owe a lot to both of those women. I have a wonderful, thoughtful, loyal, sexy boyfriend who is exceedingly tolerant of my pathological moodswings. I have an excellent psychiatrist and the miracle of modern pharmaceuticals to help me curb my pathological moodswings. My cats also give me lots of pleasure and comfort; I don't know what I'd do without them. I'm healthy and I make enough money to take care of myself. I have a job and coworkers that I enjoy. What a lucky girl I am; thanks for posting this topic, Vicki!

-- Anonymous, June 24, 2000

I have so many great things in my life, it almost (almost) makes me ashamed of how much complaining and bitching I do.

My faith is the one abiding factor in my life that has kept me from letting myself give in when things were horribly, unspeakably bad, and -- not to sound to preachy, out of courtesy to all y'all who think it's a load of cobblers -- is what's brought me the greatest joy in my life. Knowing that I'm here for a reason, and that I can accomplish any good thing I want, means a lot to me. It also makes me feel like I'm not living up to my potential, but...uh...I'll do something about that soon. Yep.

My husband is too precious for words, something I need to keep in mind the next time I start to moan at him about silly shit.

My father and my brothers, as well as many of my aunts, uncles and cousins; I never thought they cared about me too much, but my last trip home showed me that I seriously underestimated them.

My friends mean the world to me, if only because so many of them have been there for so long, through so many hard times. Whenever I feel really down on myself, all I need to do is think about the truly amazing people who I'm lucky enough to be friends with, all they've gone through with/for/because of me while still remaining loyal and loving, and I figure that I can't be too bad.

-- Anonymous, June 24, 2000

Just about the greatest thing in my life is my relationship with my husband. We are in love with each other, we love having sex with each other, we have fun with each other. Plus we somehow manage to always remain supportive and respectful of each other. It's a miracle. The other most greatest things in my life are my kids. They are a lot of work (mainly me working on being patient and compassionate,) but they are the sweetest, most charming people I have ever met, and they love me too. I really don't know what I did to deserve them.

Other things that bring me great joy are my spirituality, my creativity, my art and music, and my ability to dream. (Once I lost my ability to daydream, I don't know how it happened, but it was terrifying and depressing.) Oh yeah, and I live in a town that has lots of hippies. I love hippies.

-- Anonymous, June 24, 2000

I have a great husband who is also my best friend in the whole world. My parents, despite driving me nuts half the time, love me and are proud of me and support me any way they can. I'm enough like my mom and aunts that hanging out with them is one of the best things I can do with my time, and instead of feeling alienated from my family, I feel most like myself when I'm around all of them -- like, "oh, so *that's* where that aspect of my personality comes from -- cool!"

It was a long, hard trip, but I've found a combination of ways to keep depression at bay, and I'm glad I learned this early in life before I could get in a situation where it would fuck up everything if I spiralled down again. That doesn't seem like a big deal, but really, it's survival and it's good to know.

I love reading. I love my hobbies and all the lame, but cool, crafts I know how to make. I'm very excited by the potential that still lies ahead of me for all the ways I can incorporate my writing into my life (I'm just now learning -- people will really pay me to do this instead of standing at a cash register!). I am learning that I'm a capable person who can do a lot of different things pretty well. It took a long time to figure that out (residual high school uncertainty?) and it's comforting.

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2000

I'm lucky...My mom is the greatest. I have 6 fantastic cousins scattered around from Olympia to Cleveland who I never see, but I love them so much. I have 2 lovable cats. I have a community of friends who shoot me up with support or gently toss me to the floor with their teasing insults. I have my passion for reading, and I have my singing and acting. I have my plays and monolaugues, and I have my funky singing routines. I have a caring boyfriend. Well, now I feel good! What's my joy? Stages. Whether I'm giving a speech, singing a song, or acting in a musical or play, the stage is my home, so I guess I do have some good things in my life.

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2000

My husband and my son. I've been married for eleven years and we are still best friends and passionate lovers. We are also very grateful to be parents together to the most fabulous kid-he is our world.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2000

I'm sick with excitement because tomorrow I get to go shopping with Gwen and Cate! I get to show them some of my favourite discount and funky places to shop. I have a feeling that some Sanrio products may be purchased.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2000

Maggie, what you just said is the great thing in my life at the forefront of my mind right now.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2000