Anniversaries are a time to look back and reflect. A time to be grateful for how far you’ve come. Today I celebrate 18 years of marriage and 22 years of togetherness with the love of my life. He really is. I met him when I was 16 and he has truly been my rock ever since. He has made me laugh until I’ve cried and he has held me tenderly while I have cried until I had nothing left. He has given me all the moral, financial and physical support a woman could ask for as I own my own business. He has also given me two of my greatest gifts in life, Georgia & Benjamin. I am blessed. So deeply blessed and I know this is all by the grace of God.
But…and there’s always a but for us humans isn’t there? We just have such a hard time being content. And well, life isn’t all roses like you see on Facebook, now is it? As I logged 25 miles with my man this week leading up to our anniversary I couldn’t help but reminisce about this last year. This time last year I was days away from an injury that would leave me mostly couch-bound, depressed and unable to exercise for 3 months. 3 months doesn’t sound like much, but it felt like eternity. In the midst of those 3 months I didn’t know if it would be 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 years or forever. The long story is in a previous blogpost, but the short version is I had a herniated disc causing excruciatingly painful sciatica and lost feeling in my calf and foot. I was told no exercise. Well, I was in too much pain for that. Friends sent me to Brad McKay at Performance Therapy as an option to try before surgery. Brad McKay has been blessed with a God-given gift to heal. As I logged those miles with Jason this week, I was sharing with him how I am so thankful for where I am today. I never thought I’d run again. I wouldn’t be running again if it wasn’t for Brad. He was able through Active Release Technique to help my pinched nerve and within 6 weeks I had feeling back in my calf and foot. It took much longer than 6 weeks to fully recover, but I did. Without surgery. He gave me my life back. My husband has his wife back. My kids have their mom back. My family is eternally grateful.
I know. You are probably tired of hearing that story. Well, it’s part of the healing process. Talking about our struggles helps us heal. Today I am 8-10 pounds heavier, given what day it is. I struggle with that. I shouldn’t. I won’t any more. The people in my life who matter, who really matter, DO NOT CARE. My first-born tendency towards perfectionism will be overcome by GRACE every single day. I choose to cover myself in God’s grace. I don’t need to be perfect. I am happy, healthy and able to love. My husband, my kids…they don’t care that I’m the fittest, that I’m the strongest. They care that I can wake up in the morning and can choose grace. Choose happiness.
As women, we need to be reminded of what really matters and that scale doesn’t matter. Think only on those things that are true, noble and pure. The truth is that we are blessed beyond measure. It’s important to eat healthy, exercise and find God. Do those things. But don’t fight for perfection. Find happiness in those faces of your children that want only for you to be happy.
So, here’s my happy. These faces matter. I give up my quest for perfection to receive joy.
This is my greatest reminder to find contentment. Having our family pictures taken yearly by my dear friend and crazy talented photographer, Kim DeLoach, has been the best investment ever. Sitting on the couch with my beloveds every night looking at this year’s family canvas over the mantle is my constant remind of why I have ever reason to be content. Why I have every reason to thank God.