Grazie! 🙏🏼❤️ Thank you for all the outpouring of love I am blessed to receive, not only on my birthday but each and every day. I am not boasting or exaggerating when I tell you that yesterday I woke up to hundreds of messages, texts, phone calls, posts and dedications wishing me joy, abundance, good fortune, health, continued adventures, success, and anything else that makes my heart sing.
I live a blessed life, and that blessing is never lost on me. When I was having a difficult time many years ago, one of the ways I encouraged myself was by reading books about brave women who endured great tragedy and loss, and who survived and thrived in spite of it. The stories I read have never left my heart and serve as a daily reminder of the small blessings we often forget and take for granted.
Every night I thank God for the gift of life. My mother died at 48 from ovarian cancer, so I know that every day is a gift, not a given right! It is a blessing and I am grateful.
I thank God for the gift of health, without it nothing is possible. It is a healthy body that carries me through the many adventures that I share with all of you and it is why I am able to bear witness to the beauty that our world has to offer. There are people who cannot walk, see, hear or speak, so this alone is a great blessing that I am grateful for.
I thank God for the gift of love. So many people will never know what great love is. Many spend years feeling alone, unwanted, uncared for and unloved. I have been fortunate enough to be immensely loved my entire life. There has never been a moment when I did not feel safe or loved, and for that I am grateful.
I thank God for the gift of incredible family and friends whose support and encouragement makes everything I do possible. It takes a village. Not only to raise children but also to uplift and encourage us as adults. All the messages, calls and posts from all of you each day are a testament to this. We are only as good as the company we keep, and not a day goes by when I am not grateful for mine.
I thank God for the gift of joy. Yes, I too have days when I feel sad. Times when I look at the world and weep, but most of the time I am filled with joy. My niece and nephew always say to me, “OMG! You are always laughing, Zia Lala!” They say it in playful annoyance to my loud laughter, but they have no idea the amount of joy it brings me to know that when all is said and done, and my life is but a whisper in the wind, that they will think back on me and laughter will be my name.
So on the day of my 46th birthday, my birthday wish was for continued good health, love, family and friends. May joy live in each of your hearts as it does in mine. I am eternally grateful for this blessed life and for your gift of friendship. Cheers to the journey and to the many adventures it brings!
X, Francesca - Travelista73 🥂🍾💛
