Today I raise a glass to myself – For who I am.

For what I have, for what I don’t have. For where I’ve been, where I’m at, and where I’m going. For what I’m worth.

For the moments I’ve enjoyed and the ones that have sucked. For the love that I’ve experienced; the great ones, the ones that never made it, and the ones that have taught me what I don’t want. For the cowards, the idiots, the liars, the brave ones, the patient ones, the genuine ones.

For my friends; the ones I never talk to, the ones that have been around almost my entire life, the new ones that are so sweet and true. For the ones that generate beautiful energy within me when we talk, hug, kiss. For the supporters, for the haters.

For those who make me smile. For the things that fill my heart; the breeze, the sea, the sun, the volcanoes, the lake, the views, the laughter, the music, the dancing, you. For those who have made me cry. For the things that have broken my heart; the hurricane, the earthquakes, the shootings, the bombings, the corruption, the losses, you.

For everyone and everything that has in some way, shape, or form, one way or another; touched me, influenced me, inspired me, held my hand, carried me, listened, yelled… for making it possible for me to raise a glass to myself. For teaching me throughout all these years what courage is, what bravery is, what confidence is, how high my self-value and self-worth is.

For my all parts; kind, beautiful, confident, yet insecure. Understanding, thoughtful, intelligent, and sometimes an idiot. Independent, successful, inspiring, self-righteous, forgiving, sassy, funny, passionate, strong, and weak too. Sometimes a mess, always a work in progress.

I raise a glass to myself. For every single imperfectly perfect piece of me. For the life I’ve lived for the past 35 years. For the ups and downs and all arounds. For another successful journey around the sun.

salú,

mangó