Charmed

Despite what I may be experiencing at any moment or what I may be feeling (which is a little sadness if you must know), I know that I lead a charmed life.

No. I'm not uber wealthy and hob-nobbing with the uber powerful and uber famous.

No. I don't have the privilege of getting away with whatever I want simply for my fame, title, last name, position, or money. I have neither of these things. (Well... I have a last name -- number 80-something of Chinese surnames, I believe -- but nothing that brings prestige like a Vanderbilt or Kennedy name.)

And, no, I'm not the life of the party, hanging with the "it" crowd, or on the social scene around town.

But, you know what?

I have two parents, a sister, grandparents (three still living), great aunts, great uncles, cousins, second cousins, third cousins, aunts, uncles, and other relatives who care about me and wish to see me happy and successful (however I define happiness and success).

I have friends who will be there when I really truly need them, even if most of the time I feel very alone.

I am passionate about many things in life, which, in and of itself, makes life worth living all the time.

I possess many skills and talents and have many, many goals for myself and others.

I have a family who sacrificed a lot so that I could be born in the United States, receive a decent education, attend a prestigious public university (though I don't always see where the prestige comes from, mind you), live a warm home, have food on the table, and be able to afford nice clothes (I am a fashion freak after all). I mean, how many kids can say that they are not in need of finding a job in this recession because their parents made it so that they didn't need to? (Don't get me wrong, if the primary income-earner in my family lost his/her job, we'd fall through the economic ladder in no time.)

I am healthy. What more do I need to say? (Okay, I have crazy year-round allergies, used to have crazy migraines, and still am affected by asthma -- will I ever outgrow it? Still... I'm basically healthy.)

Truth is, I don't need a lot of money or prestige or fame to lead a charmed life. I have the basics and then some. I can enjoy trips across the country or across the globe on a very limited budget. I can enjoy beautiful clothes from thrift stores and discount stores and am not ashamed of it. I can enjoy this rare thing called lots and lots of free time to decide my next step in life.

I'm not here to gloat or brag. I'm just saying... I can't and shouldn't complain about my life. It's relatively drama-free (oh, no, we still fight, a lot) and my parents have taught me how to enjoy a lush life with very little. And that's a life I wouldn't trade for all the money in the world.

I hope you all can see the beauty in your own charmed life. Happy Holidays.