Mental Health Night.

I cancelled my plans tonight in honor of a mental health night. My life is a beautiful, wonderful, whirlwind and I often remember that if I let it, time will pass me by before I've had the chance to enjoy this incredible season of life I am in. I refuse to allow that to happen. While I don't wish my hands to be idle or my time to be wasted, life is in the little details.

I came home, plopped down on the couch and spent some time with my Savior. Considering and learning about his character, his nature. I wonder how often He longs for just such times. It reminds me of when I'm home with my own sweet Daddy and he wants nothing more than for me to sit by him in the living room. We don't have to be speaking. We can just be together, that's enough for him. I think God interacts with us much in the same way (minus the golf channel in the background). He just wants to be with us.

I made myself a quick dinner which I ate in front of some Tivo I'd been meaning to clean off. I thought of a few things I should be or could be doing but I pushed those thoughts out of my head. This was mental health night. I need to learn to just be. I bought this beautiful little dream home for such nights as these, right?

After dinner I walked over to the gym for an hour of cardio. I treated myself to 40 blessed minutes on the bike with a book. I love to read. I often think if I didn't work, I would read a book a day and never grown tired of it. Literature is one of educations greatest gifts, don't you think? So as I pedaled away with some Jodi Picoult and thought, why do I not have more nights like these?

I finished up my workout running some intervals on the treadmill and as I walked back to my place from the gym I thought this night is perfect. Perfect for the beach. In a bit of an ah ha moment I realized I live 2 blocks from the bridge...why not? I set my ipod and my book inside the door - trading them for my keys and my phone I headed back out. I rolled the windows down in my car to let the 70 degree fresh air in. I drove out to the beaches and back just because I can.

In the year I was in Indiana I missed the water. I promised myself someday when I lived here again I wouldn't take it for granted. I love Florida. The sunshine. The water. The people. The city. Really, everything about it. I felt trapped in the midwest. Caged in by grey weather and miles of corn fields. Now that I've been able to return home, to the only place that's ever felt like home - I try to cut time out of my life to just bask in it. This is my life. My life that I love. My life that I'm so excited about I can't write about it without smiling.

Mental health night was a success. A great night to be thankful for my beautiful life.

One final thought. I was listening to The Fray on my drive. And I've decided that if I can ever find a guy I would think about with 8 seconds left in overtime of a Colts game - I'm going to marry him because that HAS to be true love.

That is all.

Love,

B