Full circle

We are all on a journey
toward becoming a complete person.

Along the way we reach milestones,
chances to step aside and take account
of how far we've come
and where we still want to go.

Each time you pause to evaluate your journey,
celebrate the person you are
and all the potential that remains.

Let your journey
be your joy.

..........

This quote. It lives in this little cheesy Hallmark book I got as a present from my mom 8 years ago. About 6 years ago, it marked a really big turning point in my life - giving the Commencement address at my JC graduation (1,500 ppl in attendance, ty very much).

I used this quote as a way to end the speech in which I detailed my journey from a "painfully shy" child; afraid to talk to anyone outside her family - to the woman the audience was seeing before them on stage; Mic in her face. Conviction in her words. And (finally) more than happy to have them heard.

notice the laughter going on behind me. making them laugh and cry. successful speech in my opinion.

Fast-forward to three nights ago, the night before my 28th birthday. I couldn't sleep. Probably just too much caffeine the day before.

In my insomniac boredom, I decided to pull some books off my bookshelf that I hadn't looked at in a while. I pulled this Hallmark book out and thought, "This book was important for some reason... what was it...." As I read, I found the page with this quote on it and remembered.

Delivering a speech to a gym full of people, my family off to the side. Watching their daughter, sister and cousin, who at one point in her life would NOT TALK to anyone, deliver a beautiful (ahem, modest?!) SPEECH.... the title of it was FULL CIRCLE... a big night, to say the very least.

..........

My birthday this year was amazing. A huge group of friends, dear to my heart, showed up smiling to celebrate with me.

My dad's card that showed up today:
"Life is about the journey and the friends you make along the way."

..........

So this is kind of a random post. But there are a handful of yummy connections going on here. I leave you to find them for yourself.