(I am in loooooove with this illustration from Jenny at Geek in Heels — look for it popping up all over my Internet accounts in coming days!)

I have been juggling various ailments for the past 6 weeks. Sad to drop out of #reverb10 halfway through, and even sadder to miss my dear readers for so long. Hope to play at least a bit of catch-up in the near future….

Meanwhile, just wanted to drop in and wish you joy, love, and lots of memorable adventures in 2011.

Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up.

Once upon a time, I was a lawyer. (And a damn good one — law review, appellate clerkship, office on the 42nd floor of a Manhattan skyscraper. The whole nine yards.) Now I don’t work at all.

Once upon a time, I traveled the world. Sometimes for years at a time. Now I’m often too exhausted to go out for pizza.

Once upon a time, I offered encouragement, support, food, and gifts to family and friends. Now it’s rare that I manage a yearly birthday card.

Once upon a time, I was active in my faith, in volunteer work, in creative hobbies. Now I’m lucky to get online and write a blog post.

When life changes so dramatically, it’s easy to fall into existential crisis. What can I offer the world when all I can offer is … my existence?

A classmate once called me “the kind of person who holds doors open for people.”  A stereotypical law school alpha male, he didn’t necessarily mean it as a compliment.  But I choose to take it as one; I like being “the kind of person” who makes other people’s lives fractionally easier as we go about our days.

At the same time, I never expect anything from anyone else. When other people offer some small kindness, it’s always a surprise. That touch of surprise means I can thank them and really mean it. The appreciation shines through, and they go about their day feeling better about themselves for having helped.

An Israeli ice cream vendor once told me “You have a … sparkle … And when I look at you, it makes me sparkle too.” The memory is bittersweet because fatigue has dimmed the sparkle. But I still feel it, glimmering, passing from person to person when I smile.

And there you have it: a kind gesture, a thank you, a smile.

On days when I measure myself against the world, it doesn’t feel like much.

But it is something.

It is my something.

Glad to see I’m not the only one behind on #reverb10. I love this opportunity to gain back a little blogging mojo, but apparently old procrastination habits die hard…. Anyway, on to Day 6:

What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

These days, what I make most are ill-fated plans.

Ingredients? Aspirations, optimism, big ideas, limited time, low energy, the occasional knock-down migraine, and a large portion of hope.

Although I’ve been sick for years now, I can never seem to resign myself to the idea of getting nothing done. My brain and my psyche still love to make big plans. I draft epic to-do lists. I research trips and hobbies and events and new ideas. I brain-write articles and blog posts. I dream of my two unwritten books, my three other empty blogs. The plans rarely come to fruition, but I cannot stop making them. I still believe someday these plans will come through — and you never know when till you try, right?

Once upon a time, I played with photos….

What would I like to make? Stuff! Sewing, jewelry, paper, photography — name your craft, I wish I had time for it. Two Wishes was originally a craft blog, way back before the interruptions of wedding and baby. The name itself refers to my wish to have my professional career but also to lead an artistically creative life.

And now I have neither (go figure). But as poor Mr. T will tell you, all the fabric, jewelry supplies, paper, ribbons, film, and fripperies aren’t going anywhere. I dream that they, too, will have their day.