Bloom Where You're Planted

Do you ever find yourself living in a place totally foreign, yet so divine? Sometimes I stop, look around and think, "How did I get here?"

I grew up in a very moderate, by today's standards, poor family. My three brothers shared a very small bedroom, which Randy moved into after we were no longer able to share. Being the only girl I had my own room . Boy, were they jealous of that. While on the other side of the wall I was jealous of their "community" in the other room. Isn't it funny how we always want what we don't have or to be where we are not? I remember my mother always worrying about money. My dad was always saying "Don't worry, God will provide." Ultimately he was right. We never went hungry and we always had a roof over our heads. We didn't wear the latest fashions. Our meals weren't gourmet. We didn't go on vacation. We just lived in our home, in our neighborhood, in our town - day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year. But we always had flowers.

Then one day when I was 11 my parents told us we were moving to another state (from Colorado to Arizona). I had never even been to another state. It seemed like a big adventure. That is, until we arrived and realized we were staying. Randy and I both cried for three days. After awhile we adapted and made friends. You can bear anything if only you have friends. A year and a half later we moved again to a completely different city. Again, tears, friends, happiness. We lived there for four years and then the summer before my senior year we moved to another new state, Nevada. I spent my senior year right outside Las Vegas. This is not the best place to raise a family. I rebelled. I did not make friends. I decided I was not staying. True to my word, a month after I graduated and turned 18 I moved back to Arizona. I haven't lived in the same state as my family for the last 33 years.

All that to say I find myself today living in my home, in my neighborhood, in my town. I have amazing friends with whom I can bear all things. These people are my family. They know me. They accept me for who I am, where I am. They don't judge me. They just love me. I always have flowers and I am surrounded by beauty.



(If you click on this image and enlarge it, you'll see who's really surrounded by beauty!)