These are my wishes for you

(I sent this to myself on 5/11/06. Stumbling upon it 6 years later, I still wish them.)

These Are My Wishes For You

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism. Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

May the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them. Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. It is the content of the encounter that is more important than its form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart. Find time in each day to see beauty and love in the world around you. Realize that what you feel you lack in one regard you may be more than compensated for in another. What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility. Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

Birthday Wishes

I realize March is too early to be making a birthday wish list... but I cannot resist, especially after Oreos turned 100 this week.

1. Birthday Cake Oreos
2. the new iPad
3. $$ to defray the costs of my fitness goals: personal training, "12 races in 2012", swim lessons, new bike

And that's it so far. haha.