The Beautiful People

The Cottage Garden Cafe. Quaint, sweet, cottage like dining room. Green garden, sunlit porch, fresh menu to complete the scene. Sounds charming? It is. This place, my first work place, is dear to my heart. This is the place I first learned of, "the beautiful people."

They were stunning. The mom, the dad and the two daughters. I thought they were perfect. Polite, respectful, generous, happy. Thinking back to the days when I'd bring them coffee and pancakes kind of reminds me of all the over-rates Vampire movies everyone is into. Have you seen the clips when Vampires saunter in with glistening skin and prestine features. Yup, it was kind of like that.

The man of the house had sexy suave hair. The Mom had such a sweet voice when she spoke to him. She was always dressed as if she were VIP. The two girls had, what I imagined was a perfect life. Their hair was a perfect shade of blonde. Their skin was tan and they wore the latest trendy clothes and had the newest electronics.

I remember wishing I could be like the beautiful people. Practically perfect in everyway.

On my daily commute to work, Friday morning I realized I am. (I know, how arrogant of me, right?... Keep reading.)

I didn't feel this as I looked in the mirror and found satisfaction in my reflection. I felt this when I thought about the love, joy, peace and happiness that surrounds me. It is the trust and compassion in my husband, the wonder and curiousity in our girls. It's how fortunate we are to be a family, to be together.

Ofcouse, then, I didn't realize or have the slightest idea why that family was so beautiful. But now I know. I realize, now more then ever its not the money you make, the clothes you wear or the color of your hair. It's not your appearance at all.

It's what is in your heart that makes you beautiful.

Keep loving.

Calamity and Heartbreak

Laying on the pullout sofa bad at my parents I watch my husbands chest rise and fall as he steadily inhaled and exhaled. It's 10:00 AM and he still sleeps. But my body won't let me sleep anymore. It's our third morning at my parent's home and my ear is stiff from an overused pillow, my neck and back are kinked and soar. We are ready to be at our apartment in Grand Haven. We are ready for home.

But as I lay here reflecting on the past week and how dark and disasterous it seems I'm not sad or mad. Nor do I look at the future in dispair. Last week Ryan's Great Grandma passed away and a couple days later we lost Maddi's Great Granny to cancer. Both woman were loving, caring and amazing individuals. They both lived lives that anyone that new them would call fulfilling. And all though the ones they left behind know these things it doesn't stop us from wondering and not understanding why they are gone. I can only pray they are in heaven and that family will heal and honor their memories.

Our third calamity came in the way of vehicular misfortune. On the way to Pentwater we found ourselves on the side of the road after the car began chugging and then shut off. A huge dent in the bank account, a few tears on my part (ofcourse), a stressed out husband and two days of waiting we are hoping to be home with enough time for me to go to work today.

Our time here has Ryan and I agree that we could definitely do without the rude awakening my little brother and his three friends gave us at 3 AM this morning (a video game party we were very unaware of), the disagreements between my sisters who are always add odds, the crick in our necks, and the 3 day old socks on our feet. But we can't do without the memories we have made while we've been here.

I have to take note of this much needed time with my parents and Ryan. Enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning and dinner in the evening with them has been enjoyable. I like listening to my dad's never ending stories and words of wisdom from my mom. Her homemade cooking is definitely a plus. We've had fresh baked bread all weekend.

Making peanut butter rice krispy treats that lasted about 5 minutes, hearing my sister Keisha laughing at random weird things, going to trivia night downtown (even though we were late), finding humor in my brothers sarcasm are all things I couldn't live without.

I am so fortunate I still have all these irreplaceable things to be thankful for. It's not every morning I wake up with my husband still by my side. And it's definitely not everyday I can see my parent's faces as we catch up on the latest.

Calamities and heartbreaks are more than just sad speed bumps in my life. They are my wake up calls.

Keep loving. And appreciating what you do have.

KLM