kiki's delivery service.

In 1989, my life was made into an anime movie by Hayao Miyazaki entitled "Kiki's Delivery Service".

Seeing as I was born in 1986, it was mostly prophetic.

The main character, Kiki, is a witch who has just turned 13 and sets out for a new town as part of the coming-of-age process. She must survive for a year on her own and prove that she's ready to handle life, with only the help of her faithful kitty, Jiji.

To make a long story relatively short, Kiki finds a precious woman who takes her in named Osono. With her help, Kiki starts up a delivery service--flying all around town on her broom with Jiji by her side. She meets a sweet boy named Tombo and things seem to be going well, but something happens and she is suddenly unable to fly. This basically means her life is over, because (duh!) what kind of witch would she be without her magic?! She's overwhelmed and really doesn't know what she's going to do. There's an instant when it looks like she's actually going to give up.

In a conversation between Kiki and her new friend Ursula, Kiki admits, "Without even thinking about it, I used to be able to fly. Now I'm trying to look inside myself to find out how I did it...but I just can't figure it out." Ursula responds, "We each need to find our own inspiration, Kiki. Sometimes it's not easy."

Oh, the wisdom you can glean from a cartoon!

I don't want to spoil the whole movie, but...(I'm about to spoil the movie)...Kiki finds her inspiration and gets her magic back! Of course, she does. She's Wonder Woman.

One of my closest friends, sweet T, practically forced me to watch this movie. :] I'm not a huge fan of cartoons, and when he asked me to watch it I tried to say no...but he told me that I was a lot like Kiki and that it might provide some inspiration for me. Poor T. It seemed like every time we talked on the phone for the first three or four weeks that I had been home I ended up crying. Now, we're not talking a little tear here or there. No no no... you'll have to ask T, but I think that what I did could be more accurately described as weeping. I was overwhelmed! (I had lost my magic.)

Something happened though...I don't know exactly what...but I got my magic back. I stopped crying. I realized there were things left to live for even though I was separated from my best friends and everything I had known for the past four years. My friends and family supported me through those four hellish weeks, and I know they will continue to be there for me whenever I need them. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'm getting back into the things I love. I have planned so many craft projects that I don't even know where to start. I am working with the youth group at First Church again. I am working full-time for BayPort (...don't necessarily 'love' this one, but I'm thankful to have a great job). Regs and I are training for a 5k in March. I'm making arrangements for a trip in February to see my friends and family in PA. I'm overwhelmed...but this time in a good way.

Thank you, T, for your love and persistence. You kept pulling me out of that hole that I continued to fall into. You have seen me as very few others have. I. love. you. I can't wait to be in your presence and to hug you. You are my sweet T.