It is 4th of July weekend and I am sitting on my parent’s dock pondering the idea of “a beautiful life”. A fairly deep thought for a holiday weekend, but vacations are known to be a time for reflection and being present with those you love and/or doing something you love.

Reflecting back…in my 30s I strived every day, month and year to compose the perfect life. I was building a beautiful family with a husband I loved. I worked hard to keep climbing the corporate ladder…bigger salaries…bigger bonuses…more lifestyle benefits. We bought a house on a beautiful lot in our dream neighborhood and remodeled it into a home designed specifically for our family. We had hired professionals that helped take care of our children and home while we chased careers and vacations. My point…we seemingly had it all….until we realized we didn’t.

I have learned that a beautiful life is not about striving to create a perfect moment or time in our life. Instead I am learning it is a series of events, moments or decisions that collectively contribute to a life full of happiness with little regret. A beautiful life is certainly not without its challenges, but it is how we face, learn from and choose to live with adversities that matter.

So, today I sit on the dock (the same dock I have sat on for 25 years) grateful for my marriage of 13 years to a man I still admire and love. I am blessed with a community of family and friends that provide strength, love and hope. I have three beautiful children who I learn from every day. I am thankful for the lifestyle changes we made two years ago (against the grain of societal influence) allowing more flexibility to accommodate the “what ifs” life would certainly throw at us….and it did. And despite how hard the last year has been on so many levels, I know we are pulling through stronger together. We are doing our best to seize the day…despite how different it might look from the life we had before our daughter got sick. We are choosing our own path to happiness and hope to inspire others. For everyone who journeys with us…we hope you might do the same.