It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint.

If you know my family well, you'll know that a few years back we were hit at our core when my father was diagnosed with throat cancer. While it was the toughest 2 years of our lives, his fight to be a Survivor has brought more joy than I ever could have imagined.

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There was a time (prior to diagnosis) that I thought I'd never see my dad travel again. He was not himself. His energy levels had declined, he came home exhausted and was not always a pleasure to deal with (sorry Dad). I know this greatly impacted my mother. He was not the man I grew up watching day in and day out. And I firmly believe had it not been for this diagnosis, he would not have changed, in fact it would have gotten progressively worse.

Sometimes it takes a big reality check to get the best out of ourselves. Have you ever been faced with losing everything? Finances? Your marriage? Your LIFE? How did you respond? I'm so proud to know my father is a FIGHTER. Not only is he a Survivor, but he is a THRIVER. He found his momentum and never slowed down.

These days, he is 100% cancer free and holds a new look on life. The man is alwayyys talking. He constantly wants to engage you, tell you a story, make you laugh. He thinks of others first. I see him always going out of his way to treat someone in some way. I watch him receive avalanches of joy from giving to others. And you can tell he does it simply for your smile. I feel he has mastered one of the true secrets to living an abundant life. He does more of what FEELS GOOD and he trusts God will take care of the rest.

Oh, and don't get me started on the traveling thing! Due to another health related incident, my father refused to travel or go on any type of vacation for 15 years (imagine how tough that was on Mom)...now they're on the road every other week traveling to The Woodlands, TX, their new favorite destination. Today you'll find my parents on date nights at the Dosey Doe, a new local restaurant, or even at an Astros game. I can't keep up with these two anymore! And I am so proud of that. It's incredible to see the progession from just 3 years ago.

Tonight, I look up and thank God for this blessing.

There is truly nothing better to me than seeing these two smiling.

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