another year ends

This has not been an easy year.

Financial issues have dominated.  Real estate is more challenging than I thought it would be. Finding exclusives or even buyers often feels impossible.  And then when someone I am very close to lists their exquisite apartment with another broker, it more than breaks my heart.

So I am also trying to make a living selling luxury men's clothing.  The company is great (J. Hilburn) and the quality exceptional.  I just need to find more men.

Looking at the good all around me is sometimes difficult when I spend so much time worrying about the future, the immediate one.

But I am grateful for so much.

I live exactly where I want to live. I truly believe that New York City, while not right for everyone, is right for me.  It is where I am most comfortable.  I have lived in Boston, Chicago and even Portland Oregon for a short time.  These are all great cities, but not quite perfect for me.  New York is, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

I am part of a close family. We may differ in our politics, our life styles, and even our values, but there is real heart among us all.

I have deep and lasting friendships.  My girlfriends are my everything. Without them I'd be lost.

Those I love are in good health; this is not something I take for granted. 

And of course there's my son.  Alexander often makes me crazy. He frequently causes me to worry (like last night when he came home at 2:30 when he promised he'd be home by 2). He sometimes makes me angry (Any big causes will never be revealed in this blog, but there have been some). And he makes me laugh.  I am thankful everyday that I get to be his mother.

Wishing you all a better year to come than the year that just passed.  And may 2015 give you many reasons to smile.