This past weekend was another for the memory books.
We kicked it off with a celebratory sushi date at Hapa on Thursday (we hit a business goal 🎉), followed by an awesome night of Vision Boarding with the amazing Ladies of Parker at Wolf Peach Public House, where we tasted custom cocktails and voted on our favorites.
The weekend was full of a 50th Birthday party, girls brunch, an engagement party, dog walks, and a little bit of work. Somehow, we fit it all in and still had time to sleep (at least Brad slept).
This was another remarkable weekend...not because of what we did, but because of who we did it with.
The older I get, the more I realize relationships are one of life's greatest investments. I don't mean from a financial standpoint, I mean time. They require showing up, choosing to make space on our calendars for dinners, Birthdays, celebrations, coffee dates, and phone calls when life feels a little too busy to fully slow down.
As I looked around the room at different points this weekend, I found myself thinking about how unlikely all of it actually is. Out of billions of people in the world, somehow our paths crossed with these amazing people. Some have been in our lives for decades, and others are newer friendships that already feel like they've somehow always been there. Some of these people we see every week, and others maybe only once or twice a year.
Honestly, it doesn't seem to matter. The conversation picks right back up where it left off...just like it did with my extended family at last week's reunion. The laughter comes easily and the hugs are always genuine.
I've never really understood people who say they're "too busy" for relationships. Trust me when I say I understand being busy. I really do. Life is full, work is demanding, and there never seems to be enough time to get everything done. As soon as you cross the last thing off your "to do" list, you have five more things to add to it.
However, what I've learned is relationships don't survive in the margins of our lives. We have to be extremely intentional about building them in as a structural part of it.
There is one other thing I've been thinking about since the weekend. I sometimes forget to thank my greatest blessing.
You see, yesterday I was enjoying a lovely brunch with two of my gorgeous single girlfriends, listening to the horror stories of modern dating, and I couldn't help but think about how immensely fortunate I am.
I say this, even after sleeping on the couch last night because my Mr. was summoning demons with his snoring. I sometimes forget what a gift it is to have already found my person.
Brad is my partner in every sense of the word. He's my biggest supporter, my favorite sounding board, and one of the hardest-working people I've ever met. He is constantly trying to become a better husband, father, business partner, friend, and human. Equally as important, he has spent years encouraging me to become the best version of myself. Every crazy idea, every new adventure, ever challenge we've taken on together has been met with that same response. We always figure it out and it's always worth it. From what I can tell, that's a rare gift.
The older I get, the less impressed I am by titles, accomplishments, or things. What really sets in deep for me are the people who make life richer simply by being part of it...by showing up.
This was our third weekend in a row that was packed full of those people. Friends who make us laugh so hard our faces hurt for days; family who reminds us where we came from; people who celebrate our wins as though they were their own; and a partner who still makes me feel loved, supported, and capable of far more than I ever imagined.
None of those relationships happened by accident. Instead, every one of them has been built over years of shared experiences, conversations, celebrations, disappointments, forgiveness, and showing up even when it's inconvenient to do so.
Reflecting on this made me wonder if all the people in my life know how incredibly special they are to me.
Life moves quickly and calendars fill up fast. Before we know it, weeks have turned into months and months into years. We assume people know how much we love them because we've thought about it a million times. Yet sometimes people need to hear it.
To my dear friends and family: If I haven't told you lately, I am beyond grateful and well aware how blessed I am to have you in my life.
Most of all, I'm grateful for the guy who slept peacefully (and loudly) in our bed while I wrote this. Brad Colburn In case I don't tell you enough, I love you endlessly and I am grateful for you beyond measure. Thank you for everything you do and everything you are. 😘😘
