Light Up The Sky

"If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's OK. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot"...(Confucius). Today marks the one year anniversary of when I started my blog. One year ago, I started the blog off with a reference to "Life is a Hike." Wow, what a hike it's been over the past year. It was like hiking Mount Everest I suppose. There were certainly days it felt like it! Over the past year, I've been tested on every level and to the depths of my soul. There were days that I rested, took stock, cried and tried to gather the energy to keep going. On other days, I enjoyed the view, felt the sun beaming down on me and basked in every step I took. Sometimes I smelled the flowers and waved to other hikers I passed on the trail. There were moments though, that I had my sun glasses on, trying to hide the tears streaming down my face. There were days when I could not see the trail ahead of me and I wondered if I was going the right direction. On those days, I had to rely on faith and trust more than ever, but I kept going. On some days, I wondered if I'd ever reach the top. I'd have a chat with god on those days...and I would get some message of hope, inspiring me to press on. The moon and stars illuminated the way on the dark nights and on the rainy, gloomy days...I relied on instinct. The sun would eventually come back out however, welcoming me with open arms, illuminating the path before me once more. There were times the trail felt easy and other times it felt impossible, but I kept going. Here I am now, sitting at the top of the peak I've climbed over the past year. I am enjoying the view and of course relishing every bite of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My blog has been a way to process all of my feelings and discoveries along the trail of life. I felt absolutely divinely inspired to share my journey, like a personal letter to a soulmate. I had to reach out in a way that illuminated who I am today and who I am growing in to. If along my trail, I have been able to encourage or inspire other hikers to keep going, then I have taken my journey to new heights. As I've always said, there is nothing more profound and fulfilling than sharing your journey with others and helping them along the way. I have pondered the issue of love over the past year and have reflected so much about who I am in the process. I have learned to really acknowledge my strengths as well as my shortcomings. We are all working on ourselves along the trail of life. In pondering love, I see others much more clearly and have learned to really love people for their strengths and shortcomings too. Love truly lights the way if we allow it to. My dreams are where my blog was born. Dreams are like the moon at night, so mysterious and powerful. Sometimes we cannot see the moon, but it's there.....just like love, waiting to be discovered. Interesting to note that while at the gym tonight, as I was at the pool, staring at the moon...a fellow swimmer shared with me that September 21st is the Chinese celebration of the new moon which traditionally includes a sumptuous dinner followed by round moon cakes. I will celebrate the moon today and toast it with a glass of wine and a tasty piece of cake. The moon reminds me of the mystery of life and love and of all that is waiting to be illuminated. "The faults of a superior person are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them"...(Confucius). "For most people, we often marvel at the beauty of a sunrise or the magnificence of a full moon, but it is impossible to fathom the magnitude of the universe that surrounds us"...(Richard H. Baker).