WT Happy Birthday To Me

While I promised to inundate you with my impending milestone, I feel I’ve fallen a little short the last few weeks.  Sorry, but as most of you know, Storm Sandy no power and a NorEaster put a little damper on things.  I’m am not going to complain about a week with no power and a cancelled trip to Puerto Rico while others have dealt and are dealing with so much worse.  Among the devastation in my home town of Long Beach and many other places that were hit hard, I have seen such camaraderie and an outpouring of love and support for those in need.  It speaks wonders about the human spirit.  Neighbors helping neighbors and better yet, strangers helping strangers.  (However, had we been treating our planet with such love over the last hundred years, we may not be seeing the weather do what it has been doing.  But, I’m not about to go all GREEN on you – i’ll save that for another WTH)

On a day when the love is pouring in from all corners of the world, I couldn’t feel more blessed and grateful. Moving into the next decade of my life, I am fortunate to have found such amazing friends, lots of new and some dating back 30, even 40 years.  I am so lucky to have, and to remember, so many of the great times I’ve had in my life (along with many nights I dont remember so vividly and a small handful of those I’d like to forget).  I have no regrets, only experiences that have made me stronger.

I view my milestone of 40 as a new chapter in what I hope to be a very long book of life.  I’ve set new goals, have new dreams and look forward to what’s to come.  And during it all, I hope to continue to entertain you all with my writing, make new friends and fans and eventually take it to another level.

If you’re a fan, you may have recently read WT Hal.  The exercise I used to write his Eulogy was something I had done for myself as well and thought that it would be nice to share it with you, to get a little more insight into who I am, as if you don’t have enough already.

 I am from a tight knit family no matter the distance, no matter the continent.  From brotherly love I wouldn’t trade for anything, for whom I would give and do anything and love whole-heartedly and unconditionally. 

 I am from sharing and caring, treat others how you’d want to be treated, if you make a funny face and the wind blows it will be stuck that way, shit on a shingle, bloody hell, g-d give me strength, work hard play hard, don’t judge a book by its cover, beauty is only skin deep, don’t forget to call your mother and be home for supper.

 I am from Atari’s frogger, pitfall, Donkey Kong and Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers.  I am from Black and White TV’s, Rabbit ear antennas and Cable scrambler boxes.  I am from summers of boats, beaches and sleepaway camps and winters of ski trips, snow forts and snowball fights.  I am from riding boardwalks and riding mountains and riding the roller coaster of life. I am from home cooked meals 7 days a week, family vacations, the ice cream man, playing till dusk and up at dawn. From Chicken soup, Matzoh brie and Grimlisch.  From traditions, morals and values that are daily reflections of the past and the goals to achieve for the future. 

 I am from don’t sit on your ass, go get a job.  From newspaper routes, babysitting, summer concessions, the ice rink, the yogurt parlour, office assistant, metro seliger, wells rich green, grey, organic and Verge.  I am from success and entrepreneurs.

 I am from life long friendships, unbroken bonds and everlasting memories.  I am from HADIM.  I am from Brooklyn via Russia/Poland meets Long Island via England.  I am from a blind date gone right.  I am from Long Beach, Montauk, Shandaken, Hartford, NYC, Utah and PW.

 I am from daily challenges that make me stronger, from testing of wills and making concessions, from loving and losing but finding strength and respect to work together.

 I am from my children.  My angels, my light, my purpose, a piece of my heart and soul, my reasons for being that takes my breath away.   I am now from Goodnight Moon, Elmo, Dora and Diego, Kai Lan and Mickey Mouse.  I am from Ice cream covered noses and chins, long beach sand in little tiny crevasses, snow angels, runny noses and scraped up knees with tasty salty little tears.

 I am from lucky – to have what I have, to be who I have become and to see clearly who and where I am going next.  I am from ME.

Thank you all for reading and supporting my new found love for writing.

Much more to come from WTHayley.

Xoxo