Is love alive?

They say that things just cannot grow
Beneath the winter snow
Or so I have been told

They say we're buried far
Just like a distant star
I simply cannot hold

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?

 I still believe in summer days
The seasons always change
And life will find a way

I'll be your harvester of light
And send it out tonight
So we can start again

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?

Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson – “Winter Song”

The funny thing about lyrics that cling to your heart, is that you find their specific meaning evolves over time. Perhaps the message is always still the same, we just receive it differently. I've been thinking about this old "deployment" song. Not just because it's on my Christmas {Spotify} playlist, but because of a curious little thing I've been marveling about lately.

When I was pregnant with Damian, Rocky gave me an Orchid for Mother's Day. I loved the pretty white flowers, but during the move & new baby & a slew of home renovations... it just kind of died. Two dried sticks & one last withering leaf were all that remained. Such a far cry from the lovely gift it once was.

I was so attached to it I couldn't throw it out. I carefully watered it. I moved it around, "to get the right amount of sunlight." For almost two years, none of my efforts seemed to matter. Every once in a while I contemplated replacing it with a new flower. Even recently I took it out of the vase & had intentions to discard it. I just couldn't actually go through with it. In the back of my mind,

I had the smallest hope that since it hadn't deteriorated entirely, maybe it wasn't over.

It's been hiding in a corner of our dining room, high above Damian's busy hands. When I moved it to do some rearranging last week, I noticed a curious little thing...

A

new

bud.

Not just one, but two! These little baby sprouts have made me so proud. The bright green digested sunshine in the midst of a grey canvas has been good medicine for me.

Nevermind what they say...


♥

Dreamy December

Definitely a "one step forward, two steps back" {or however that goes} kind of day. It seems like no matter what I tried to do, there was consistently a force staggering my attempt at progress.

The boys went to bed a little early, so I'm catching up with a little work & remembering the
little victories. These pictures are from one of my favorite mornings with Damian.
They remind me to have a little optimism, because tomorrow truly "is a day with no mistakes in it."

This rabbit was a gift from my husband's family when he returned from Afghanistan.
It plays "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" and Ocean loves it {he adores everything musical}. He doesn't realize that it almost moves us to tears to hear this particular song.
At times it's been very difficult & we are far from perfect...
but oh how I treasure this little family of mine. ♥

Sweet Treats

These two...

Oh how their smiles bring me life. ♥