What's in a laugh??

Today a co-worker was walking down the hall, passing a conference room where I was in an all-day meeting. She knew I was in the room, not from a calendar or from overhearing about it in the office. She knew because she heard the sound all of you have heard before (from long distances even!)...she heard me laughing. Yes, the very identifiable sound of joy and humor from my body. She walked in...with a huge grin...telling me how she knew that laugh (even just after a month of knowing me!) and knew I had to be around. Then she said something I don't think I ever realized before about myself. She said, "you are always laughing." We are always our own worst critics and I usually see myself as a "glass half empty" kind o' gal...but for some unknown reason, I AM always laughing. Its one of my favorite things to do...I want it to be a part of everything I do...maybe I don't know myself quite well enough. Just maybe, I am a more positive person than I give myself credit for.

Some people have had to "get used" to my laugh...some miss it when it isn't around too often...some people identify me by the sound of it...but all I know is that I love life when it's a constant compainion of mine.

Took My Sweet Time

Other than a traffic report this past week (on myspace blog), I have been remiss on my blogging for quite some time. I really shouldn't be so cruel to my readers. I know more people read this than I actually know (not myspacers), so I definitely should be more responsible. But I gotta admit, moving makes me a dull girl. I haven't been doing too much exciting since I have been here cause I am shopping for furniture way too much and I have been unpacking boxes and trying to organize the new place. I have gratefully been able to spend some q-time with a lot of my friends (which I am ecstatic about!) and am falling right back into life here in the DC metro area.

I need to write my annual Christmas letter which should give everyone the 411 on my life, so I don't want to write it all twice. So, this blog is short...but I do have some parting words (well, a short story and some parting words!), a bit sappy and philosophical...

At Thanksgiving (at my uncles' house in Penn), I was asked what I was thankful for this year. The list could be very long, but I decided on one that is truly specific to this year. Change. I am so very grateful for the ability in our lives for change. Change of outlook, change of location, change of attitude, change of body, change of spirit...whatever you can think of. But that as human beings we are able to affect change in ourselves and our lives. This year has seen great change in my life in so many ways. I am awed by what has transpired. I didn't get married or have a child or anything like that. But so much has truly been altered in some way or another. We can all do it...its not easy and in many cases it can be painful. But I have seen that through pain, great things can grow.