The 4th is almost here! We are gearing up to celebrate America with guns, drinks, lakes, fire, and games. Thinking about heading up to my dads with Jayme gets better each time. With each trip we gain new memories and she becomes even more engrained into my family. The weather looks like it will hold and we should have an amazing time. These are the times when love is easy, when arguments are few and kisses plenty. But what I want to talk about today is how we weather the storms of life in an effort to not simply survive, but to thrive.

Jayme and I might not be living in squalor, but times are tough right now.  With uncertainty around every corner we have times that push us, make us uncomfortable. Tension develops and attempts to drive us apart, but what we have cannot be broken.

I liken our resolve to that of a tall pine tree. There are a row of them at my grandma’s house. When the winds come and whip strong they will sway to and fro, violently at times. They appear to be at the mercy of mother nature, but in reality, these trees are doing what they are designed to. Absorb and go where the wind takes it. And when the skies calm and the sun shines, it is the pine that stands tall.  They might have missing bark or a broken branch, but still standing.

When a storm rages in our lives (like our current financial woes) we have learned (and are learning) to sway with the storm. to rely on the other as we do in the good times as well. Jayme not only keeps me grounded in what really matters, but also keeps me growing to reach my potential. I like to think I do the same for her. We are family now and I cannot wait to join our lives together in front of our loved ones, but until then we she weather our storms together, we will bend, but never, ever break.