Refresh

Well folks, I think I am pulling out of my funk. Things are looking up. And do you know what the crazy thing is? Nothing in our lives has really changed. All of the things that have made life hard for the past few months are still there: Boston is still expensive, Brad is still crazy busy, Lainy is still not herself since starting school, and I still feel like I have to be the one holding everything together. But I have learned something. Or maybe I already knew it and just needed to remember: That slowing down and just being grateful changes everything.

Yes, Boston is expensive. But it's also a beautiful and fascinating corner of the world full of promising opportunities for our family.

Yes, Brad is busy. But he's busy learning a trade that he really loves. One that will virtually guarantee him a good job for the rest of his life. How many people have that?

 I'm still looking for a bright side to the changes in my Lainy girl. Though it breaks my heart, I am grateful for the extra hugs and talks and glimpses into her life it has brought.

And I am grateful for the continual wake-up calls that I can't be everywhere and do everything for everyone. That I don't need perfectly groomed kids and a clean house in order to be a good mom: I need patience and a positive approach to whatever the day throws at us. My husband and my kids just need me and my love, as flawed and silly as I am.

So I'm trying to focus on gratitude and love. And I'm realizing that even though our life here is different than I expected it to be, it is still a beautiful life.