Sunday, August 24, 2008

Because Life is Beautiful...

Mark and I know how blessed we are.  We have always known.  We began our life together with very, very little materially.  We had just graduated from college and we had big plans to drive from New Jersey to California, a place that neither of us knew anything about, to settle.  I had been to California once when I was about nine years old with my family, but Mark had never been.  We were going to start our own business...From nothing...With nothing...But we had heart and courage and dreams.  That was enough.  We did not know that we couldn't or shouldn't, so we did.  We were modern pioneers putting everything we owned, including our five cats and our dog, into the back of a Dodge Cube van and my little Dodge Omni to set out across the country.  It took us five days.  Five long, adventurous, scary, frustrating, bleary-eyed days to reach The Golden State and to plant our roots in our first California home.  We were young, in love, a little bit scared and a lot a bit unsure about what our future would bring.  But we had enough.  Even with just a little, we had enough because life was beautiful.
And so we celebrate.  We get a kick out of every step, every crazy, unsure step that life has set before us.  Our oldest angel daughter is only a little bit younger than I was when we began our journey.  She is the oldest daughter of two people who took on the "pioneer spirit" and created a mostly wonderful life from nothing.  
Our youngest Angel knows even less about how her parents adventure began, because by the time we had her, we were settled.  Deeply rooted in our pioneer life, far from where we had traveled.

But California is the land of opportunity and so we grabbed as much of the goodness that we could and made a beautiful life for our family.
(Marley is growing, isn't he?)  Our Angels have been afforded opportunities which Mark and I could only have dreamed of.
They love life.  We love life.  
(This is what happens when our fourteen year old Angel gets a hold of my camera.)  And so, because nobody ever told Mark and I that we couldn't do what we did and create what we have, we did, and we do.  Because life is beautiful.  We know this because regardless of the pain that life sometimes throws our way, it doesn't stop us.
We push back as hard as we can.  We remind ourselves that no matter what, we have enough.  We remind ourselves that life is beautiful.
We aren't at all sure where our oldest California native Angel Daughter will head on her journey, but we know that where ever she goes, she will remember that life is beautiful.  She will know that what ever she has at any given stage of life will be enough.
So dream sweet angel(and your lovely college friend, room-mate and our daughter when she is away from her family).  Because we hope that we taught you, and that we continue to teach you, that life is beautiful...
Even when it isn't.(or when your fourteen year old sister chases you around with Mom's camera!)


23 comments:

tj said...

...Hello Debra, this post was absolutely beautiful! I loved everything about it, the photos, the story, the message, everything! It seemed I sighed the entire time I was reading...

...What an enchanting life and family you have! You and your husband are just the most incredible people and what better testament for the love you two share than those four lovely Angel Daughters... Just an all around lovely family Debra.

...Beautiful photos too!

...Enjoy your evening!

...Blessings... :o)

tj said...

...Oh, and Marley is lovely too... I didn't wanna leave him out... ;o)

Debra said...

TJ,

Thank you, sweet friend! Your visits always make me feel like a dear old friend is stopping by to say hello. I truly appreciate you in so many ways.

Hugs,
Debbie

Laura ~Peach~ said...

wonderful memories lovely lives and beautiful angels!
hugs Laura

Anonymous said...

Life is Beautiful and so are you! I love this post. Let's talk soon!

P.S. Seems Angel D4 has an artistic eye like her mother!

Ness said...

I just got the good-all-overs reading this. I would love to hear more about your and Mark's early life after arriving in California, or must I wait for the book and movie version? :-)

You will never know how you have enhanced my life by just being in it. I pray for you and your ADs daily and live vicariously through their adventures. I hope to meet them some day.

Jenn-n-n said...

As usual Debra your blog forces me to think, to consider and to be thankful for what I have.

I really love coming to your blog.

Thank you for being such an inspiration.

joanne said...

Debra,
This was an especially beautiful post on a day that is overwhelming grateful and at the same time sorrowful. Thank you for always helping me to remember that life is beautiful even in it's most difficult of times. You are a treasure indeed ;)

Melissa @ The Inspired Room said...

My dear, you always have a way of brightening up my day! And now I have added your blog to my favorites on Stumbleupon so others can enjoy my best kept secret!

xoxo

Jennifer Chronicles (jenx67.com) said...

oh, geez - this was so fantastic. another wonderful post. i absolutely LOVE that picture of the two of you in younger days. beautiful people. And, don't you know - God knows what we have need of. Really, this post increased my faith.

Jennifer Chronicles (jenx67.com) said...

i let my husband read this post and he pointed out that the picture was of your daughter. is that right? your girls are so pretty!

Bogart said...

Very cool...sounds like a fun adventure!!!

And I would not cross that older daughter...that death look almost killed me across the net. I can't imagine what it would be like in real life!

Alison said...

beautiful post Deb.

You are right, life is beautiful.

How wonderful to have fulfilled your dreams!!

Catherine Holman said...

How brave you were. We talked about leaving and moving far away, but I still live in the town that I've always lived in. It's home.
Hugs,
Cathie

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Life is beautiful...I guess we all need reminding of that sometimes.

Thanks for being that reminder...

Hallie :)

Irene Latham said...

You, my dear, certainly embody everything that is beautiful about the pioneer spirit. Isn't it all about hope and believing? Yes, things can be tough, but there is always ALWAYS room for gratitude. Thanks for the reminder. xxoo

Lynn said...

I'm sorry I haven't commented in awhile...I've been away for a bit. BUT, what a post to come back to!! This was absolutely lovely...both the pictures and the words. You always give me so much hope for the future when it seems like everyone else is so pessimistic. I am at that stage, of just beginning, with not much money, etc, and sometimes I feel like it won't ever get better. I sincerely hope it does, but I can tell that you are the type of person that is happy no matter how much is in the bank account, and I hope I can be that type of person too. Thanks for sharing.
-Lynn

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. I love the reminder that what we have is always enough. How true. And somehow I still need to be reminded...

Lorrie Veasey said...

What a great gift this post was--just a lovely reminder to practice gratitude. Your girls are just beautiful; it really is true that the life you lead is shown on your face.

Debbie said...

I am so glad you linked to this post. What beautiful pictures and a great reminder to be thankful for what we have - it is enough. Thanks for joining in.

Maria-Thérèse ~ www.afiori.com said...

This is very inspiring to me since I'm just about to start my own business from scratch, completely on my own. Beautiful photos as well and BEAUTIFUL people..!!!

♥ visit me at www.afiori.com

Jannie Funster said...

It does look like you are all living a beautiful life. Your homes looks very pretty too, I like your tile.

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