Let It Go

This weekend, my husband and I got to head home to visit our friends and family. Trips home are always equal parts hectic and exciting. We only get to see our family a few times a year, so when we're there, we try to soak in every minute of love we can. It just gets a little complicated trying to make sure you squeeze all of your loved ones into a 72 hour period.

But we made it work! Being away from the craziness of every day life and surrounded by our family was incredible, and a nice reminder of the things that really matter in the world. I'm not sure if it was the vacation,  listening to the Frozen soundtrack on repeat with our niece, or a combination of both, but I came home with the intention to try more often to "Let It Go".

Watching our niece twirl around in her Elsa dress, wig, and shoes was refreshing. At five years old, her biggest worry was if we would press play again so she could hear more of her favorite songs. I don't feel like it was that long ago that my life was so carefree, but in that moment, I certainly felt the 22 year age difference between us.

It's not that my life is terrible; far from it. I am blessed beyond belief. It's just that I'm a human, and sometimes that in and of itself can be a challenge. Whether it's a stressful week at work, tension in a relationship, or just a "blah" day overall, sometimes obstacles just place themselves in your path, and you are left with the responsibility of figuring out how to get around them.

A few weeks ago, the dad of a friend of mine told me what has truly made him happy over the course of his 65 years: health, faith, family, and friends. He said in his experience, these are the four things people really care about. He mentioned he thinks the order varies from person to person, but that when those things are good, life is too.

This advice wasn't groundbreaking by any means, but it felt like the perfect way to express what I'd been trying to articulate for years. At least for my life, he is spot on. When I think about the positives in my life, they all fall into these four categories. And when I think about the negatives and compare them to this list, I realize they don't really matter.

I guess this path is a little different than trekking through a snowstorm to build an ice castle with my superpowers, but I've arrived nonetheless. Here's to letting it go.