it's a beautiful life

Here’s the truth.   I’ve been trying to write a deep post.  I’ve probably written and erased about 10 paragraphs.  At first, I tried to come up with an insightful analogy that would keep you thinking.  Then I came up with a story of a girl. And let me be honest, when it’s a story of a “girl” it is almost always an indirect story of myself.  Erased that.  Soon my thoughts and words turned into doubt.  I have writer’s block, I thought.  Even though I’m not at all a writer and a blog post isn’t exactly a “piece” or an essay or anything of importance at all really.

So now here I sit and the only thing I can think of to write are the facts of my life currently. So here are the facts:

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  Yes, I stole that from Kelly.  In my head, we’re on a first name basis.  She just doesn’t know who I am, that’s all.  Hard things happen.  I cannot avoid this plain and simple fact. And in the moment of hardship, the only thing I want to do is give the world a double bird and feel sorry for myself.  When the tornado decides to leave, you look at the damage.  What can be salvaged?  A lot is lost and must be rebuilt.  Some of the damage can never be repaired.  It may be a year before your life is normal again.  Though tornados in life suck, you cannot say they do not make you stronger.  I can bet that you’ll be more prepared if another disaster decides to strike.  And if it does strike, it won’t do the damage it did before.  Because let’s face it, you’re a bad-a who survived a TORNADO.

I am happy. The dictionary says that happiness results from the possession or attainment of what one considers good.  To me, the most important things in life that should be on a “good” status are the gospel, my husband, my family, my educational development, and my health.  Though some of those areas are a definite work in progress (omg all I can think about is the 5 pieces of pizza from Cici’s that I gorged today at lunch), it’s an uphill movement, heh.  Nothing is going down or stagnant.  Incline=good. Posession of good=happiness.  Haha, who knew that happiness was that simple, right??

I am more in love than ever before. I really mean that.  I’ve seen and heard the same story over and over again.  An old couple says they love each other more now then they ever have.  But then I look at the couple.  They never hold hands or display any amount of affection.  They give each other tired and worn out smiles without an ounce of passion.  The old man jokes about his “ball and chain” and the woman holds her love for her children high above her love for her husband.  Harsh?  Maybe.  But it’s what I see.  I don’t want my marriage to become that.  I don’t want the affection to stop or the passion to die.  I want my marriage to be my life’s work.  I want my marriage to be my masterpiece.  I believe that it will be one of the only things I can take away from this world.  I know you may be rolling your eyes.  Who am I to say that I don’t want the passion to die when I have only been married for one measly year?   I know there’s a long way to go and it will be harder than I think but it's a promise I've made to myself.  When I look into my lovely husband's eyes, I feel more giddy, more in love, and more content than ever before.  I love him more today than I did when when he first told me he loved me on the beach 2 years ago.  I think we probably hold hands, cuddle, and tell each other we love each other 10 times more then when we dated and I love that.  It just keeps getting better.  

What you put in to the world, you will get out of the world.  This statement comes in many forms.  Karma. When you choose the right, you will receive blessings, etc.  I remember I had a guy friend in college who would frequent the hot dog stand that I worked at.  He told me that he believed the universe would give you only what you gave it.  He thought my life was charmed and he blamed it all on this idea.  He said I was an optimistic person who put an optimistic vibe out.  He thought the only reason my life was smooth was because I gave out positive vibes and I expected positive results to come back.  I laughed at his hippy talk.  I thought it was flattering, but I didn't believe it.  As I look back, I understand what he meant.  A bad day is only a bad day if I say it is.  I am in control of my life, and how I feel about my life.  If there is something I do not like, I am the only person that can change that.  I've had moments when I've been pessimistic (and when I say moments, I mean longish moments that last months).  I look on the sarcastic and bitter side to every story.  What do you think came of that thought process?  A sarcastic and bitter life?  You got it!  When I am thinking positive thoughts and doing positive actions, life is a whole lot smoother.  It may appear to be a mystical universe phenomenon, but it's really quite simple.  Be happy.  You will have a happy life if you are happy inside.  I am the only person who can make me happy and when I have ugly thoughts I cannot blame them on anyone who has done me wrong.  I can blame them on myself.
On a less deep note, here's a short update on the specifics going on at Headrick household.  We have been so blessed to be able to spend the last year and a half in Virginia.  We have been working for Ben's brother, Tim, for Moxie Pest Control.  We have been learning the ropes to the business because we are planning on opening our own branch.  It's been a wonderful experience and Virginia has taught me so much.  I have definitely realized my love for the West since I've been out here, however.  Maybe I'm not the city girl I thought I was.  Wide open spaces, no traffic, and friendly cultures are much more appealing to me than the hustle and bustle of a crammed in city life.  We have been lucky to be able to travel a lot since we've been married.  Next week we are going to Hawaii for a little bit.  After that we are moving to Utah for about six months to recruit, recruit, recruit!  I am so excited to move...you have no idea!  I will be around most of my Neeley sisters, who I have felt secluded from the past year and a half, and I will be in beautiful Utah.  Then we will be moving to our new location!  We don't know where it is yet, but we do have some top choices!  We need to visit and research these places first.  The new location will be, after all, where we could be living for the rest of our lives!
Thanks for listening! 

field of heather

Do you know where the name Heather comes from?  A flower.  A tiny purple flower also known as Lavender.  When I was young, I hated the fact that I was named after an insignificant tiny flower while my older sister, Lindsay, had a name that meant "god-like."

It's funny, really.  Now I realize how dead-on my brother was when naming me (yes, my 8-year-old brother named me.  i was kid number 6 so my parents were lax on the whole naming the baby thing).  I'm slightly obsessed with gardens.  If I didn't major in music, I would have gone into landscape architecture.  When I was young I wanted to be the girl in The Secret Garden more than anything and my high school friends called me a hippy.  Unfortunately, growing up also means you get this new stick that you have to shove up your butt (pardon the language) so I'm not quite the "hippy" I once was, but there's still a little song-writing space case in here somewhere.

Yes.  I am a flower.  I am small.  Alone, I may not seem that impressive.  But I am me and I am important.  With all the other flowers in the field, I can be quite a sight.  This makes me think of the people I am surrounded with.  They build me up and make me who I truly am.  For as God said, it is not good for man to be alone.