choices.

We all have choices in life.

After a wonderful weekend/beginning of the week with my sweet husband, we spent his birthday (Tuesday, April 10th) in deep conversation about life and how everything in life is based on choices.

​​Everyone makes choices - simple choices like what to wear, what time to leave for work, what to make for dinner (ok, ok - not always easy) and what to do on the weekends. At the same time, everyone makes difficult choices - to leave a job, to get married or divorced, or to relocate. Your actions are choices as well. You choose to speak respectfully (or not respectfully) to others, you choose to assume things about someone else, you choose to go on a date with someone or to write in a blog.

Every choice you make is important. Every choice you make could not only impact your life, but others' lives as well. How often do we think about that? How often do you think about the choices you make and the way it affects others? Probably not as much as you should - I know I don't. No one is perfect. Let me say that again: no one is perfect. But choosing to love others for their imperfections is a choice I am happy to make.

​It's no secret to many people that there is drama (quick note: drama is typically used in a negative connotation, though the definition of drama is "an exciting, emotional or unexpected series of events or circumstances) in everyone's life. Family, friends, co-workers, partners all make choices that may create drama. However, it is your choice to let it affect you. It is your choice as to how you move past whatever that drama is and how you come out on the other side. No one is perfect. Don't let anyone dull your sparkle. Choose to be happy. Choose to see light at the beginning, middle and end of whatever tunnel you're facing right now. Choose sparkle.

Ok --- you're probably now thinking...ISN'T THIS AN ADOPTION BLOG?! Yes, it is...I'm getting there - I promise! While Ryan and I were having this conversation, it quickly turned into a conversation about adoption. Choosing adoption was one of those difficult choices. It's not what you think - we were all about adoption and what it stands for - but the choice to allow ourselves to believe that someone would choose us as parents was the more difficult one. This is a choice that we battled with for a long time.

Our conversation turned to - what about the choice this sweet baby's mother, father and family have to make?! That choice is unimaginable. To hold a baby for nine months inside of you and make the decision to place them with another family, no matter the reason, has got to be one of the most difficult choices a person can make. This choice will affect a lot of people's lives.

We hope that this sweet momma knows that we will continue to choose her baby - and her (and the father, and family, etc.) for the rest of our lives. We hope that this momma knows that we will choose to put this baby first at every twist and turn of life. We will choose to teach this child things that will help them become an amazing person. We will choose to tell this child about their birth mother and the hard decisions that she made. We will choose to love this child as our own -- no matter what. We will always choose this child.

As our conversation dwindled and I walked towards our bedroom, I caught a glimpse of my first nursery purchase. Kinda perfect, huh?

Life is what you make it.
Life is short.
Choose to be happy.
We are our choices.