"Save your money for a rainy day, count your blessings, come as they may." ~ Pat Green

It took me a long time to learn the art of counting my blessings. I'm too literal; I kept trying to understand how counting a paltry handful of blessings could be helpful when they obviously couldn't outweigh the mountain of misfortune heaped upon me. I don't remember the day or the moment when that lightbulb finally flickered on as I realized that the blessings were part of the misfortunes, a sort of hidden perspective if you will. I do remember that first blessing, though.

With the realization that "silver linings" were the intended focus of "counting one's blessings," I was almost bowled over by the rush of relief that hit me when I realized that my entire life had been riddled with blessings. Growing up, I was put through trials that sound almost unbelievable when listed together. The phrase "stranger than fiction" hardly covers it. I often wondered how many puppies I must have kicked or orphans I possibly had exploited in a previous life to merit such punishment. Once, in a fit of selfishness and teen angst (and still unaware of the gift's true nature), I tried to return the blessing. Can you imagine throwing such a treasure away without ever having truly seen it? Yet another blessing: I was saved from myself. I was 13 then and it took another 13 years for the lightbulb to kindle, illuminating my world of blessings. Three years later, I am still discovering pieces of my life, previously locked away for their ugliness and shame, as the priceless and hard-earned blessings they truly represent.

If you wish, follow me as I count my blessings. Some of them will be personal stories, things that once seemed random and awful until their irritation gave way to pearls of wisdom. Others will be the products of a different blessing, the creative fire that has served as a distraction, a coping mechanism, and a source of mini-vacations for as long as I can remember. A few may be the roads I am traveling in search of new blessings, the bumps I encounter along the way, and the fellow travelers I meet.

I hope to see you down the road,

~Ally