love, laughter and gratitude

Gratitude comes as easily as laughter at a family gathering. No matter what the occassion, we laugh and eat and eat and laugh, ultimately not knowing whether our bellies ache from too many helpings or the side-splitting humor. We weave our way through many threads of conversation, most of it serious -- politics, the economy, international events. The inevitability of the turning leaves only the question of when. When will my brother or nephew turn a phrase that will have us doubled-over? When will my mother say something so utterly unexpected and shocking that we can't contain ourselves? How long will it be before my sister-in-law surrenders to snorting? No meal is complete without the snorting.

I am truly thankful for my family, for knowing that at every meal, they'll serve up a full course of laughter. All of it drizzled with love.

pushing through to the second syllable

Have you noticed the praise that infants get for burping? Smiles and laughter and applause even. And then at some point, the baby grows into a kid and burping at the table elicits an entirely different response. When does burping move from adorable to rude and disgusting? Odd, eh?

Sucking follows the same curious path. An infant's sucking reflex is the most critical and primal response because it allows the little guy to take in nourishment. But at some point, to suck takes on a whole new meaning and it's not pretty.

That's why I'm trying to push through to the second syllable - from suck to success. It's not that I don't have gratitude for my health and my loving family; I do. But I've been feeling that my life sucks lately. What will it take to feel that I'm a success?