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Blog Every Day in May

Day 25/31 - Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget.

There they stood. Two people in a crowd. Two people drawn together by life, tied together by kisses, and wondering what the future held. She was one for words, oodles of words that could take up pages and fill up rooms. He was one for actions, time being the very best gift.

The Austin skyline lit their view standing on that rooftop deck. It was his city; she was just testing the waters. She had needed change, a little shaking up. New people, new experiences, a new opportunity to wipe it all clean and start over. So she moved. With a car and a dog and a trunk full of goods, she crossed the country with hopes to find whatever it was she was looking for.

She wasn't sure what she had found, but she was sure she was happy. It had been right, that much she knew. But he wasn't clear. He held her, he kissed her, his eyes smiled every time they met hers, but he wasn't ready to commit. He wasn't ready to take that leap, to lay his cards down to let her see. He was cautious. He was quiet. He was logical, but love defies logic.

So that night, that clear, warm, August night, when he pulled her to him as though she was his, she couldn't help but smile. It felt right. This night felt right. He'd realize it too, it was in those cards.

"I hope you'll stay. I hope you'll stay for a while."

Not an I love you, not even a commitment, but enough of his heart to show that she was right where she was meant to be. And that this place that had called her to it was indeed exactly what she'd been looking for.

**Linking to On Your Heart and Just Write.**

LIVE THE MURRAYED LIFE

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The Dawning of a Musical Miracle

Blog Every Day in May

Day 18/31 - Tell a story from your childhood.

"What's Napster?" Kathryn asked, seeing the little green face on my desktop.

"No idea. Robert told me to download it months ago. It's so confusing that I just leave it alone."

There we sat in my lime green room, Backstreet Boys watching over us from a prime spot on my wall while Christina Aguilera set the mood, trying to figure out what this Napster thing was all about without the help of (then nonexistent) Google. After many minutes spent waiting on load bars and answering AIM pings and trying to figure out exactly what song we wanted, somehow we ended up with two: Video Killed the Radio Star and Tony Orlando's Knock Three Times.

I have no idea how we got them. I'd never heard of either.

We danced around in our Old Navy bell bottoms and belted lyrics like it was our job, adding the Dixie Chicks version of Can't Hurry Love about an hour in. We were ahead of the game, taking technology by the reins and letting loose. CDs be damned- we could get any song we chose.  Well, any song that we chose and could find and actually had an adequate version of but pshhh...  minor details.

High on our Tony Orlando loving horse, we called it a night, leaving ten songs in the queue and waking up to three usable ones in the morning. It was the dawning of a new decade, and it was nothing short of a miracle.

LIVE THE MURRAYED LIFE

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Back to Basics

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Yesterday I had plans. Plans to post a weekly photo, update you on Declan developments, and basically just be a mom. And then I read a disarming post.

This writer discussed God and our country and our future. It talked about how we have food, shelter, and freedom because of our belief in God while those in bondage, starvation, and poverty lack this belief. It talked about how the votes we were casting to add "freedom" were really taking us to hell in a hand basket.

I was pissed. I sat here and wrote and wrote, deleting sentences and paragraphs that began my thoughts but didn't end them. None of my feelings were being properly conveyed. There were too many "and this'" "and that's" whizzing around in my head to catch them all and slap them down here.

So, with a baby strapped to my chest and a german shepherd by my side, I went on a walk. The air was crisp and the sun was fading. Neighbors were going around their lit houses preparing dinner. Garage doors were opening and closing, welcoming workers, parents, students, and babies home to warmth and comfort. Life was abuzz.

It was on this walk, seeing political signs and stickers all over, that I was comforted. I once again felt united with my fellow Americans. Sure, there were those that I outwardly agree with based on the name posted, but then there were others who had no stated allegiance or one that differed from mine. I felt proud to have the freedom to show our choices, use our voices, and come together to make things happen.

From what I see, we might differ, but in the end we are oh so similar.

We want security for our friends and family.

We want good health and help when it's lacking.

We want our children to grow up confident in who they are, know they are loved, and have strong values to guide their way.

We want education and knowledge.

We want freedom to voice our opinions, believe our beliefs, and follow what we think is right.

One of the beautiful tenets of this country is the freedom afforded. It is in this freedom that we get strength. To me, diversity is desirable. If we can learn from and respect our differences as a nation we will be that much mightier.

We have work ahead, but I do not think that it is as simple as needing to keep God in our nation. Countless groups of people have been held down by religion over time, so how 'bout we get back to the basics? We need more love, respect, and compassion. We need to be generous with our thoughts and understand other viewpoints. We need to realize that there are things that we don't agree on, but that many of those things are personal and have no impact on others. We need to focus on the positive, stop trying to control, and be giving to one another.

I feel that yesterday we took strong steps in this direction. I hope we continue on this journey, striving for the best for our country, for our citizens, and for ourselves. Let's show compromise and compassion, respect and no judgment. Let's work together and erase divisiveness. Hate and fear will get us no where. Let's bring back the love.

LIVE THE MURRAYED LIFE

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An Old Twenty-Five

There have been times when I realized I'm getting old. They have been harder to come by for me since I'd pick board games over bars, babysitting instead of a party, or visiting family over a vacation in Mexico. (You got yourself a real fun gal here Peyton! One who would say "fun gal" and just nail it home...) I like healthy choices and find that making them is fun and gratifyingly youthful. Yet there have been those moments when it is confirmed that I am adding on the years. Like birthdays. Or when I check the 25-35 box on surveys. Or when I, eight weeks post-partum, decide to play soccer with a group of high schoolers. (Now that was a good time.) But nothing prepared me for having a baby and realizing that while I am young, oh so young, in his eyes I am always going to be old.

I think most people who've had a good childhood can relate. As a child your parents are gods. They know the rules of life, can make any pain better with a kiss, and can save you from even the scariest monsters in the closet. Add some more years and it's flipped. They don't use video games, or cool phrases, or understand why it's such a big deal that Suzie called Leah who called Elyse to tell her about something that- well, nevermind, they wouldn't even understand what they were calling about in the first place. But you, you've got it all: youth, beauty, and the confidence that, simply put, you know everything. Except for the fact that you too will be old. That everyone who says "they've been there" actually has. That wisdom is growing inside of you but has years to be fully recognized, and once it is, you are wise enough to know that there is so much more to learn.

Believing that my mom and dad were this age once is doable. Realizing that they were as inexperienced at life and marriage and parenthood is tougher. Because they are my parents. They were always old. They held the key and power to teach me. They clearly were given a manual that I have not yet seen.

And now? Well, now that's me. A young twenty-five who will be eternally old to her little boy.

Years from now I can see our children pouring over pictures, possibly even to see who their sweet little resembles, and noting how young we are. How in that click of a camera we were captured at an age that they might have already passed. And they will try to understand what it was like for us, that we were living a life just like theirs but with sillier clothes and hairstyles. And they will consciously relate to the fact that we too once were young. But deep down, it will be inconceivable that we were as clueless as they in the big things in life, that we were trying our best, that we were showering them with love since that's all we were sure would work.

And ya know what? I hope that is what they think. Because that means we did it right.

**I'm linking to The Extraordinary Ordinary's Just Write Tuesdays. Click here and check it out!**

LIVE THE MURRAYED LIFE

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