BELIEVE

Those of you who know me, know my favorite word is "believe." It started with a necklace that I bought in the bead shop in Stillwater, OK. And I gave a matching one to my friend Shannon...who believes a lot in the same ways that I do. When people would ask me what it meant, I would say "just believe in something...something bigger than yourself." And the longer I have lived, the more I realize that believing in the little things is just as important...because they are constant reminders of what is bigger. They signify the grand plan...the bigger picture...they are road marks for "what is bigger than ourselves."

I found this today. It was in response to the question "what makes you happy..." Please note, I wrote this almost 10 years ago...

"Rain...any hour of any day. Including my wedding day. Hot showers after a long drive. Bare feet. Nick at Night. Puppy breath. Green grass that you can roll around in. Days I get to wear shorts, t-shirts and no make-up. Fresh, clean sheets on the bed. Night breezes in the hot summer. Snow angels. Finding one more roll of toilet paper. Pens that write good. Ice Cream. Laughing. Laughing with my best friends. Laughing at my best friends. Free anything (except advice). Road trips with buddies. Road trips by myself. Lakes, rivers and oceans. Rollercoasters. Sunshine. Kids, dogs and horses. Putting something I've been dreading behind me. Flying by the seat of my pants. Turtles. NOT flying by the seat of my pants. Mowing my yard because its MY YARD. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Hope. Friends coming to visit. Scooby Doo. When patience pays off (because I rarely have any). Free Bird's burritos. Cooking for family and friends. Knowing what makes me happy."

Not one of these things has changed. But there are so many more things to add to the list. Family. Finding strength in family. Faith that we gain strength from hard times. Hope for the future and what it holds for all of us.

This life moves fast (I think I just quoted Ferris Beuller). There are so many things going on in it right now...yours and mine and his and hers. BELIEVE that it is beautiful. Believe that it takes perseverance to find the beauty. Believe that we all have it in ourselves to persevere. Believe that our friends and family will help us find it in ourselves if we let them.

Believe that Love is the greatest...and don't ever forget about Hope and Faith.