Dear Chris

There is a difference between being alive and living.

Being alive involves air moving in and out of the lungs, the heart beating, and blood pumping through the veins. It is the intake, conversion, and spending of energy. Being alive is great. I've been alive for a number of years and enthusiastically recommend it to ANYONE! :-) I'm quite happy when being alive. Thankful, even. Yeah.

But LIVING. That is a completely different beast all together. Living has to do with taking the time to do important stuff as well as stuff that really doesn't matter. It involves being goofy, and loving, and other great things. It involves emotions like anger and worry in addition to joy and generosity. Living is what the truly lucky people get to do while being alive.

Now Living to the fifty-THOUSANDTH power? That's Living with someone that you love. That's living together with someone who is your compliment in every way. That's the kind of living that I am doing now. About a year ago I met a wonderful friend who made me want to Live (that's you, babe). Gradually we became a couple...and that motivated me. You showed me how much fun living could really be.

I love you, Chris. And I love living with you. I hope that we will live complimenting each other for many, many years to come.

But now it's nearly 10. You just announced that you're waking up at 5am. I think it's time to set the alarms, turn off the light, and curl up next to you for some sleepin'. Now that's living!

:-D

And to all of the rest of you - I wish you a life full of living like the one that I have found.

Darbi