The Greatest Gifts

I know this is going to sound crazy but, I just had my phone ring to remind me of how true this blog post is.

In the world of social media, it is so easy to live in a constant cycle of comparison. Society has created what I see as a timeline for life that we are all expected to follow. Honestly, I am someone guilty of seeing people's lives and thinking, “ I should be traveling as much as she is right now.” (Yes, Kate, I am talking to you). The truth is YOU are exactly where YOU need to be. This is something that has been preached to me my entire life.

The first time it truly hit me was in college. Someone who I consider a second mom in my college town would remind me of this constantly (I love you, Kim). She was SO right. The truth is I never wanted to go to college where I ended up. However, if I had gone to what I thought was my dream school, I would’ve missed out on the friendships, the second family I gained, the memories, and the opportunities my college town provided me.

Never stop dreaming. Our dreams motivate us to excel in life BUT, if you take one message from this, I beg you to let it be this …. EVERYTHING happens for a reason. Please, don’t let the sadness of not being there yet stop you from enjoying the now. I know you want to be in college and free from your parents. Guess what … You are going to miss home when you are in college. Soak in where you are now. Just remember some of the biggest blessings in life come when we miss out on our biggest wish. When we stop fighting where we are now we can handle the circumstances with grace and acceptance. We allow ourselves to move towards our hopes and dreams. Garth brooks says it the best. Some of the greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

xx,

Hadley