The Best Things Sometimes Aren't In Pictures

Michael is out of town this week and I guess him being gone makes me more grateful. Instead of sitting and missing him, I'm trying to sit and reflect on the joy in my life. I thought I would share some of my memories that I hold dear to my heart.

-The way I felt when Michael saw me walking down the aisle to him.

-Michael whispering "You are beautiful" when Dad handed me off to him. I've never felt more loved than at that moment.

-The comfort of being surrounded by friends and family in celebration of us.

-Michael and I singing at the top of our lungs with the top down on our convertible Sebring driving through Florida. (Even though the Sebring smelled because someone had obviously left the top down in the rain.)

-The billboards in Nassau. They were public service ads against AIDS that said "PROTECT YA TING! WRAP IT UP TO PROTECT AGAINST AIDS." Michael is never going to forget that. Now any word that ends in "thing" is funny.

-Waking up every morning to the freshness of the ocean.

-Not getting any sleep the last night on the ship because of a high school graduation party next door. Were we that excited about graduating high school? I don't remember acting that way.

-The moment I married Michael feeling like this was the first day to the rest of my life. Like we had everything in front of us and could take on the world. I like that my husband gives me that confidence.

-Listening to Mike talk to Tillie and Deedee when he doesn't know I can hear him. Heaven help us if we ever have girls because Mike is a sucker for precious littles.

-Realizing the graceful way that my parents are transforming into Gran and Poppa instead of Mom and Dad. It makes me want to transform back into a child and jump into their laps.

For someone who has planned out every minute of their life up to this point (i.e. me), it's nice to finally be at a place when I can just sit back and breathe and watch life carry me through. Life is like the lazy river, and I'm smooth sailing.