I am

I am a girl.
I am a woman.
I am a sister.
     And a sister-in-law.
          And a step-sister.
               And a pretend sister.
I am a niece.
I am an aunt.
I am a Bostonian.
But still a Chicagoan and maybe just a little bit of a Phoenician.
I am a mother.
I am a student.
I am a volunteer.
I am a worker.
I am a friend.
I am a voter.
I am an earner.
I am a saver.
I am a court-appointed guardian.
I am a former subject of the State.
I am a wife.
I am short.
I am blond.
     But you wouldn't know it.
I am a college graduate.
I am proud.
I am a fighter.
     And a lover.
          And a survivor.
I am a beach bum.
I am a daughter.
     But not to my parents.
I am not the person you think I am.
I am getting closer to being the person I want to be.
I am a composite of the people I love.
     But still myself.
I am happenstance, I am fortune.
I am effort, and I am talent.
I am curious.
I am confident.
I am stubborn.
I am friendly.
I am a listener.
I am a cynic and an optimist.
     I think those can co-exist.
I sympathize but I don't pity.
I think.

I love.
I care.
I cry.

And I blog. 1,000 times.