My Peaceful Place....

Do you have a place where you feel totally at peace? Relaxed, comfortable, a place where at the end of the day you can say "ahhhh".

For me, that place is my parent's house.

My sister and I gave my parents a hard time when they first moved to this sleepy town years ago but this sleepy town has become a place where we go to get away from the hustle and bustle. A place where we can sit and talk for hours around the fire, overlooking the water. A place where we can just sit and rock on the front porch and be silent. Or rock and tell stories that we've told over and over through the years...and then laugh like we've never heard them before.

As stressed as I am right now {and I'm not even going to go there because apparently my body is telling me in more ways than one that I can't quite contain it anymore}, coming to this house puts me at peace.

This past weekend was a special one at my parent's house because we celebrated my dad's birthday. My sister flew in and we made my dad a pound cake, we ate yummy meals and cherished our time together.

We did some antique shopping, art museum browsing and eyed delicious desserts.

Maybe this sleepy town isn't so bad after all.

After all, this is a small town, the kind of town where people know who you are and tell you they are praying for you or for my dad in this case. They tell you how they've missed you at church and hope to see you back soon. They know me because of Bob and Karon's grandson {Bennett}.

They offer to take pictures of you and your dad while on a coffee outing.

Dear friends drop off food, send cards, leave presents for the grandkids and bring over sweet little puppies.

The place that I was so annoyed by as a college student because there was nothing to do is now a place that I don't ever want to forget.

Perhaps this place reminds me of summers with my sister's family.

Or perhaps I love it because each of my babies have tried to escape out this front door.

Or maybe it's my mom's silly cat "Daniel" who has tormented my dogs for almost 10 years now. And all the crazy stories that prove cats do have nine lives. And well, maybe it is the other way around-the tormenting thing. I think they all secretly love each other though;)

But most of all this place reminds me of my dad. Because my dad is a peaceful man. He's laid back, he's welcoming, he's loving. To come here to celebrate his birthday was my idea of a perfect weekend.

You know, none of us know if this year is the last year we will celebrate a birthday, for any of us. Everybody's days are numbered. Some have the future painted a little clearer, perhaps but I've realized no matter how many days, months or years you think you have, living your life in a peaceful place is where it's at.

We love you dad, and we're wishing you many, many, many more birthdays to celebrate at this most peaceful place!