Every year, every month, every day, every breath is a gift.

For a long time I hesitated to share parts of my life out of what I thought was respect for other's personal stories but what I was missing was that I have a role in those stories. That role makes part of the story mine. Stories are powerful. They are at the center of how we build relationships with people. By limiting what I shared I was limiting the opportunity to build relationships with people. There were many days when that idea of respect was stopping me from opening my computer to put words to something going on in my life. It is possible to respect someone's personal story details while not locking down your own story.

I'm challenging myself to be more open about my personal story. It's scary. When you hand over part of your story to someone else it's a risk but it invites them in to have a role whatever that role may be for that page or chapter. I want to invite more people into the story. You will see more small glimpses in to my story beyond fitness, beyond health and into life. If they speak to you, lovely. If they don't that's okay. If you can relate please join in.

A few years ago not long after my mom's birthday I was distracting myself from worry by picking wild violets in the warm spring sun while my mom had surgery. We found out later she had kidney cancer.  There was a reason I was afraid. This year I'm excited that she gets to make her way down the coast to celebrate her big brother's birthday. I never much cared for birthdays before that. I did not like making a big deal of them for me or anyone else but when I realized just how much a birthday symbolized I could understand. A birthday is not simply a celebration of the arrival of that person on earth. It is a celebration of the gift of having them as part of your story. You get to thank them for the role they play in your life. You have an excuse to love all over them being who they are. It's an exercise in gratitude and a chance to mark the chapter in our story.

Every year, every month, every day, every breath is a gift.