the aughts

2000-2010 is my most important decade so far. it saw me officially becoming an adult. here's how:

1. Got married
2. Had my first child, then second and third
3. Had my first major adult acquisition (a toyota revo)
4. Flipped houses thrice (first in a suburb 2 hours away from MM, then to one nearer by an hour, then to a condo unit in the metro)
5. Moved in to our first house and lot which is likely going to be our longtime family home
6. Got into a true adult financial mess then thankfully got out of it
7. Got the job i wouldn't mind retiring from
8. Kicked some bad habits learned from my riotous teenage years
9 Traded old unproductive beliefs for new personal truths

i love how this decade has shaped my life. i love the experiences it brought me, both the good and the unpleasant ones.

i can honestly say i am happy even with the mistakes i made all these years, because i think i learned from them, and because i feel i made them at the right time and age: when i was old enough to face them with the right perspective and young enough to still have the time, energy and confidence to manage the consequences.

i am thankful for the crises i went through because they have forged my most valued relationships: with myself, my husband, my family and most important with my God.

i am thankful for marriage and parenthood because of the love, sense of belonging, and perspective these gave me. and, if you haven't noticed yet, i am a big fan of Perspective.

i think i know a lot more about love now: how to give it generously, how to receive it gracefully.

i also have found my access to joy and inner peace. i can spot it now in me. i find joy when i am truly grateful for everything life has thrown me. i find peace when i surrender to my God's Love.

thanks to this decade. looking forward to the new one.