2004-03-05 - 2:26 p.m.

I am here (after a significant hiatus) to tell you all that I have the very best life I can imagine. Toward the end of autumn last year I discovered the most amazing woman. Her name is Shannon. We had been briefly and unsuccessfully acquainted in years past, but this time I recognized her. She is my partner, my soul mate, the one person for me to love in this lifetime, and I am hers. I did not think that this sort of thing actually happened to people. I certainly did not believe that it would happen for me. She recognizes me in all my forms. She finds me and illuminates me. She makes me laugh. She makes me think. She makes me angry. She tells me about herself and her love for me. She writes me the most beautiful phrases I have ever seen. She has a way of encouraging all of what is best about me. I am more honest. I am more joyful. I am more tangible and aware. I am fully alive. She is brilliant and funny. Goofy and vibrant. Challenging and supportive. She is gorgeous and articulate. Two days ago she brought me 30 unopened daffodil buds. This morning we woke up and nearly all of them were open, eyes bright, chins up, like puckered up pieces of sunlight. The amount of joy inside of me cannot be explained. This love is as mysterious to me as quantum physics and as familiar as my own palm.

The weekend before last she moved in with me. Our happy little family is almost more adorable than is reasonable. She has a dog named Ben, and there is still Zoey, Ye Olde Fat Cat. We are a strange, unwieldy little group of misfit lovelies. It has been a challenging project, but we are mostly settled in and everything has a place. We still have some pictures that need to go on the walls, and some other little details to work out, but overall it is perfect.

My sister has moved into Shannon’s old apartment and is well on her way to settling into a gorgeous and very comfortable home. She inherited Shannon’s kitten, Lloyd, who is the perfect compliment to her. They are similar in personality in that Lloyd is brilliant, curious, goofy, affectionate, and fiercely independent. They look a little bit alike, too. Lloyd being long, slender and swaggery much as Lia is, and having quick brown eyes not unlike hers. I am glad that they are together. I like Lloyd, but he and Zoey were going to need a long, exhaustive process of establishing dominance (aka wrecking the house and hurting each other), and I just wasn’t up for it. Ben and Zoey are choosing to spend the majority of their time ignoring one another. Seems to be working out so far, although I think Ben’s feelings are a little bit hurt.

School is going well, but I’m pretty sick of it. I’m tired of classes. I’m tired of practicum. I’m getting freaked out about finding a job. So, I spend a lot of time not looking past Spring Break. That way it seems doable.

I really hope that I get to see some of you fine d-land friends soon. I miss you. I will (I always say this) try to do better about updating this diary. It is important that you know what is happening with me, because I am always so grateful when you enter updates about yourselves.

So, that’s it for right now. Me. Being all kinds of happy. Goofy, googly, giddy, and grateful.