Last month I happily turned the big 5-0 and celebrated in Cape Town with my family, soulsisters, soulbrothers and friends. There were so many HAPPY moments around reaching my half a century, as well as in the lead-up to it and afterwards, that I have spent the month of September reflecting on what makes up my fifty shades of me.

Without further ado, I want to share my little list of the 50 gratitudes, blessings, connections or special moments in my life that have been extremely present for me during the month of September. And in no particular order, relevance or importance. Each one simply makes me happy.

I am grateful / I remember / I celebrate / I am happy / I am blessed by…

1. watching the sugar birds with my mommy in her tiny garden
2. sitting under ‘my’ tree
3. swimming and making up aqua shows with my cousin in the pool
4. getting my hands full of EARTH planting balcony pots and tiny gardens
5. walking on the beach any day, anytime, anywhere
6. hiking the Camino twice and once with my soul sister L.
7. spending hours looking for fairies in the back garden through the bathroom window with my daddy
8. manifesting my big dream this year by visiting my seventh continent, Antarctica, thus making my fiftieth year so absolutely huge for me
9. swimming – because me and WATER
10. grandpa taking me shopping on my 21st for my first diamond ring (a cute little wishbone with a teeny chip of a diamond that I still wear to this day)
11. my first overseas trip on business to Italy in the 90s that infected me with the travel bug – forever
12. taking a timeout to participate in the Vipassana meditation course
13. learning the importance of breath and AIR – breathe in – breathe out – stop for a moment and let’s do it together now
14. capturing the little things that I see through my photo eyes
15. music and dance – does one need a reason?
16. grannies homemade Christmas pudding and trying to find the biggest coin before grandpa did ( and he always got it, I think him and granny were in cahoots)
17. lighting a candle and sitting enthralled by the flame, the blue around it and FIRE
18. old friends, new friends – from school, university, a multitude of careers and travels, near, far and wide…
19. making scrapbooks and playing house (Barbie and Sindy had the most beautiful cardboard box house one could make) with my stepmom
20. yoga – you changed my world
21. every single cup of coffee, each piece of sushi and glass of wine enjoyed alone or in super company (and champs and pizza and pasta and … ok, I love food)
22. so honoured to have met the Dalai Lama and attend his discourses
23. the happy souls in my life – yes that’s you, my soulsisters and soulbrothers – your love, support, understanding and connection
24. still always love above all else and more so after marriage, divorce, survive, repeat
25. the smell of my stepdad’s freshly baked bread and the yumminess of his homemade ice cream
26. divine ENERGY
27. travel that feeds my free spirit, my wandering heart, my gypsy soul and my feet happy
28. learning to live with less, realising how little we truly need to survive, be happy and to value the simple things in life
29. sharing our birthdays, my soulsister C. and I, and our chance meeting in Cusco many moons ago that sparked a friendship that spans continents and time
30. endless books and journals
31. the blessings of a loving and extended family
32. the thrill of flying high above the clouds and being able to talk to my angels up close; and the highlight of my NZ trip when I got to fly a plane myself
33. Max(ine) and her late mommy, my other mother, my mentor and my soulsister C.
34. counting my siblings amongst my best friends, a true blessing
35. each and every sunset and those sunrises that I manage to drag myself out for (I’m not a great morning person)
36. flying into Cape Town and seeing my mountain from the plane window every single time
37. the joy of laughing with my nieces and nephews while watching them grow up oh too quickly
38. expressing my creativity through photography, writing and life
39. connecting with an amazing circle of like-minded souls, healers and travellers via my blog and social media
40. learning something new every single day
41. working with my hands and the universal healing energy
42. sharing knowledge
43. learning through teaching
44. opening to the flow of life and loving each little step of the journey
45. the joy of having my aunt in my life
46. my backpack as my travelling companion, although I’ve a strong sense that she has just completed her final journey with me (she’s been to all seven continents too) and may rest here now
47. the feeling of being free as a bird
48. my strong beliefs in the power of abundance, the law of attraction and karma for what comes around goes around, we need to give in order to receive, nothing goes away until we learn the lesson and we attract precisely what we most need in the moment
49. L O V E
50. living a life filled with soul connections, my biggest blessing of all

with gratitude for sharing this space with me, Delicia xxx