My house is quiet and I find myself on the couch in my family room with my two dogs; laptop on my lap. For a person who is comfortable among people, if you don’t know me well, you might find it suprising that I enjoy my own company. In fact, when I am trying to wrestle words or ideas into some kind of creative order – I prefer it.

The program on the TV in the background is on the newly launched OWN network and is Oprah Winfrey’s story in her own words. Oprah and I have a funny connection. Her show is as old as my second child and there were plenty of times when getting to her 4pm time slot meant that I was closing in on making it through another exhausting day of motherhood. I have written pieces about how “My Life Is Better Than Oprah’s” talking about experiences like going to the Olympics and my rink-side seat that she wouldn’t have been able to buy regardless of how much money she has. I have talked about knowing my best friend Debbie for over 40 years which would trump her friendhsip with Gayle any day. I do go on don’t I?? 🙂

Today there are nuggets that have come out of her program that have made me stop and think. The primary one being about identifying your purpose, if not, you run the risk of just wandering through your life. I think I have it figured out: I like to think I am a storyteller. You as the reader, get to choose what you want to keep and what you want to reject. It’s not up to me to do anything except tell you the story.

I am smiling because today I reached a goal: over one hundred thousands fingers from different places around the world have clicked on this blog to check out the stories I have been telling. I am surprised. I am delighted. I am humbled.

Aside from 100,000 hits in just over a year, my other goal was to try and tell stories you might not otherwise know. One of those stories was the one from last week about the project in the slums of Nairobi. I am doing what I can to support them and wanted to know how you were helping make things better in your part of the world. Thank you to Twitter pals Made_in_Canada3 who thinks that they will also donate a lesson fee to charity, Swetarijoshu who was grateful to still have Japan relief efforts front and center and LyricoM whoi is going to donate their Worlds ticket refund to Japanese relief. On my blog, click on the 3 comments that were left from people who must know they are making a difference. ‘Thank yous’ as well to my email pals who shared their stories.

I am always saying to the young people who surround me on and off the ice that the choices in their lives are theirs. If you let someone else determine what you are going to do and be, then you also let them determine the outcomes in your life.

A very long time ago, a trusted “friend” said to me: “What could you ever write that anyone would want to read?” Fortunately, she said it in a strange Turkish (maybe Shwabish??) dialect that I couldn’t fully understand (or myabe I just had my fingers in my ears??) Secondly, it never occurred to me to think about any readers – I was simply and joyfully focused on the writing. That said – I cannot thank you enough for making this dream come true.

Next up – more skating stories 🙂

Don’t forget if you can help Japanese relief efforts here are a couple of places to start:

www.cbc.ca/japanrelief and www.redcross.ca