Summer in Brooklyn

There are plenty of times in life that we look around and think, “how the hell is ALL this happening to me”.  I have had those times, times when I wondered if my little eyes would run out of tears, they didn’t.  Remembering those times make me incredibly grateful for the beautiful times in life. The past shapes us, we are formed by it, broken by it, and also, I think, saved by it. Our hearts heal and we are saved to keep dreaming.

I am having a really great summer. I am falling in love with someone really special. And I know….. it can be a bit much when people brag about their partner but I am going to join that crowd for second and talk about how things are going really well over here in Brooklyn.

I also would like to request a special bragging pass, just this once, because I have seriously put in my time having to fall out of love with a few guys and I have written about that and I think this little entry will be a lot more uplifting to read!

And I know, some people miss my dating stories, just for the sheer comic relief but I am excited to report that my boyfriend does not provide me with material to laugh about later.  He doesn’t create situations that are so incredibly awkward they turn out to be great stories later. Sorry.

He actually shows up when he says he will (for any NYC dater, you KNOW that’s a big deal), he doesn’t ask me if I’m on my period if I order a slice of chocolate cake (that happened!), he doesn’t act like I’m insane if I ask if he’s dating other people after five months of dating (he wanted to be exclusive week two). This guy is a good egg. We are having a fun time getting to know each other and just doing life.

 

The thing about life is, timing, it seems to always get the best of us. This time last year I did not at all image my life to be to way it is now, in a good way.  I think that is also why we have good friends. Friends that remind us we’ve conquered harder days before and friends who remind us that good days will come again. Right around now, this time last year, I was in Paris with one of my very best friends. I remember the moment so clearly; we had a bottle of red wine and a picnic dinner, sitting in front of the Louvre (so cliché and so Hollywood, I know, but I’m just explaining the setting).  We both were talking about what we wanted out of life and how hard it is when those things are out of our control and there is nothing we can do but wait, be patient, and still live today.  We have been friends for while and so reminded each other of challenging times we’ve overcome in the past and probably those moments have given us the strength to wait for our wishes to come true.

Currently those dreams are coming true.

I’m an emotional individual. It’s in my blood. I come from a family where we are raw with emotion, sometimes that’s a good thing, and other times it can be a challenge for us and for those around. It is always clear how I am feeling, I wear my feelings on my face and I can’t fake it.

These days, my face is happy. Really happy. Really blessed.

It’s not all roses and the reality is, nothing ever is, it’s just stages of life. I currently have a mouse problem and sometimes I see a mouse and scream SO loud I give myself a headache.  I also don’t have a washer anymore and I miss that, since I’m not a huge fan of hanging out at the Laundromat, but it has to get done.  I have now learned that my neighbors have turned their outdoor space into what one can only call a mini basketball court and an over-sized cheering section; I don’t love it. It’s so loud!

My July has been full of falling in love at the Brooklyn Botanical gardens, backyard sushi, bikes rides, scheduling the exterminator to come back for the third time, waiting for the dryer to be done, and runs in the park where I am thankful to have some quiet moments away from my NBA training neighbors.

             

There’s a song lyric, “let’s risk the ocean” and honestly taking a risk seems like the one thing that can get us out of really hard times. It seems like the best thing we could ever do for ourselves.  So we take risks and we learn. We learn from those around us and jump in cause, we only have this one life to live.