Cease to search for the broken and crooked turns that your life took but let your focus be on the pleasant lanes that you walked through. Jacqueline

Having my birthday two days ago sent me on an interesting thought spin. When I was in my 20’s I had no vision of what my life would be in my 40’s because my mind couldn’t think beyond certain things. I daresay this is the case with most people because truly none of us knows what the next hour has to offer not to talk about tomorrow or 20 years down the line.

I remember back then I decided that by the time I was thirty I would have my PhD. and would be deeply entrenched in a diplomatic career that would allow me to be a mediator amongst people and Nations and to travel the World.

My diplomatic career dream started off by working from The Tunisian Embassy to the French Embassy and then The Delegation of the European Commission (EU). I was on a roll.

Fast forward to the present time, I smile as I recall that earnest young lady of my twenties, who had it all worked out in her mind. I forgot that life happens when we are busy making plans. Somewhere in that dream a husband and children featured but the depth of their role was never clear to me. They were simply going to come in somewhere at some point in time.

The fascinating diplomatic career was tossed aside for diplomatic cooking with the kitchen apron and children clinging to my legs and the traveling has been eye-opening opportunities that I had never anticipated – my travel case is always ready to go  🙂

The PhD. is yet to materialize but the desire is not lost, just deferred to the near future. The mediation happens every day though in smaller, tight circles of settling sibling squabbles and gladly dishing out words of advice and wisdom that I’ve acquired along the way.

I’ve played many roles and occupied all sorts of positions spanning over a decade going to two decades, but in all these divergent directions there has remained a pattern of being true to myself and embracing each opportunity with every bit of me.

At this juncture in my life, I am glad. I am grateful for a loving family. I have been blessed by total strangers whom providence brought to me. I am thankful for friends that I have found in unexpected places and still finding, on the path of my journey. I am thankful that though my path has been winding, I see the lines falling pleasantly in place.

Thank you for being present in my life.

Jacqueline

If you wish to participate in a gratitude challenge, there are several gratitude/thankful platforms in the blogosphere that you can tune into and get your ithankful going on. I can’t express in words the enormity of Joy and fulfillment that comes from having a heart of gratitude. Please check out Maria’s blog, Colline’s blog and Bernadette’s for thankful/gratitude challenges.