home sweet home & ever better

I had a realization tonight as I reflected on our family's journey. We've lived in 5 different areas now: Rochester, NY; Washington DC/NOVA; Charlottesville, VA; Gainesville, FL; and finally, Elizabethton, TN. 

I am feeling very grateful these days: for our new home, for how well our children are adjusting to yet another move, and for the enjoyment I experience from watching them grow. 

It really seems like with every move we've made, things get better and better. 

But I realized that this trend isn't a result of moving or that the new place was an actual improvement over the previous location. Also, people are people everywhere you go to - there are awesome, amazing people and people who you won't jive with so much wherever you live.

So what is it? 

It hit me: it's us. We are better.

If one lives life fully - growing, learning, connecting, changing, learning, striving... all the things that make this life so worthwhile - then inevitably life tends to get sweeter too. 

Is it a straight line? Are things always amazing? Of course not! But the peace that has been permeating our home and life this Fall is a result of many, many little choices made over the years and of continuing to tinker with our habits as individuals and as a family - adding new things, releasing those that aren't so great for us anymore. 

If we had stayed in our hometown our whole lives, it would have been the most amazing place we every lived and it would have been good and right and gotten better with the years for this same reason. Because we would have changed and grown. 

It's not where you are that matters so much as WHO you are. 

ps I don't regret any of our moves. I do feel sadness over uprooting our children so many times. But we have kept communications very open and they are forgiving. It may not be ideal, but it is our journey and man, I love it so much!