The Best of Times

To me, this picture represents the best of times. Brad and I had just gotten married and had a new life before us, and my grandparents were there, along with other family members and special friends. I had no idea what I would encounter on the journey ahead, but I knew I could handle anything... I had God, my new husband, and my faithful prayer warrior Grandaddy on my side.

This picture reminds me of blessings. I've been blessed with a sweet husband who has been a wonderful father to my little girl. I've been blessed with grandparents who loved me dearly and prayed for me and left me a legacy of God's love and hope. Thinking of the blessings in this picture reminds me of other blessings in my life - my loving daughter, my parents, my friends, my Christian upbringing.

This picture also represents hope. After surviving a divorce and single parenthood, Brad gave me hope for having a loving, "whole" family. My grandparents were the epitome of a Christian marriage, and they gave me hope that I could find true love that lasts.

I like to look at this picture on the hard days. Days when when the world seems to be caving in on me and I just want to crawl back in bed, days when the sun just doesn't seem to want to shine, days when I think I can't face whatever life has put in front of me, days when loved ones disappoint me, days when the long road seems to never end. On those days, I look at this picture, and I see the best of times, the blessings, and the hope. And I tell myself that the difficult times are worth it. Because the hard times make the good times that much sweeter. And the best is yet to come!