"Up".... on love

So Ben finally watched "Up" with lillian today. From a child's perspective that movie has cute dogs, a bright colored bird and a fun little boy just their size with lots of brightly colored balloons to ogle at. but if you're an adult, or more specifically a couple, then you catch the intense love between Carl and Ellie. you watch their story unfold in the beginning and you watch their life as it transpires with it's joys and heartbreaks. and in the end what Carl realizes is not what he lacked in giving her, but that he fulfilled her life in a way he never even understood.

I have the most incredible man in my life. Someone who understands me and has seen me at my ugliest times and he loves me unconditionally anyway, just like God intended. He gave us love like this so we would not only have a small glimpse at Him, but also to help us on this journey to Him that can be so discouraging and upsetting at times. We have this brand new amazing little girl who constantly amazes me every day. She gives us that warm happy feeling that only looking at your own child can do for you. I feel like our life is so complete.

This past weekend we got to spend some time with my family. I've missed them so very much and I was so grateful to have seen them. I think the pain of leaving is always worth the joy of having been there. But that doesn't make driving away any easier. Living so far away from them is really hard. I think of ben's sister and her family and I know we hate being so far away from them as well. Ben's parents live nearby and that's a privilege we try not to take for granted. I know Bridget would appreciate it if she could live near her parents. And I know my parents wish they could be in their shoes.

As we were driving home I thought a lot about family. I think about how hard it is at times to make friends. Friends come and go, they can backstab you and they can easily let you down. (just watch Judge Judy) But family, family is forever. God gave us family because we lead each other through life. We get each other oftentimes when others don't. We drive each other nuts, but at the end of the day, if the love can overcome, we have true friends in each other.

I spent the latter of my teenage years trying to get out of my parents house and away from them. A healthy wish for any child to want their independence. I wanted my own life, to be big and "adult". But now that Ben and I are here on this 'adult' journey together, I think we're realizing more and more we often couldn't make it without them. I'm understanding that life is beautiful when you share it with the ones you love. Most importantly my husband and amazing daughter and our perfect little pooch. But my eyes are opened to how much leaning on each other with the love of our families can teach us how to be a better version of ourselves. Our parents didn't get it all right. There are things we'd like to change. But they are lightyears beyond what other people in this world have for examples (what most people have) in their lives of love and happy marriages and I know I want them all in our lives to cherish. That's why God put them there. For learning. For supporting. For encouraging. For laughing. For enduring. For LOVING.

One man's life is short. In God's eyes, it's hardly a blink. And at the end of my life, I want to lay on my bed in peace, surrounded by those I love knowing that my life was shared with those who wanted me in their life as well. With those who loved me most. Knowing all the laughs and memories were made with people who it meant just as much to them as it did myself. So here's to the making of many memories......