picking favorites

This is my favorite dress and my favorite hat at what used to be my favorite place.

Outfit details: Chantilly Lace Dress - Forever 21, Hat - Lulu*s... no accessories... perfect as is.

Before my Dad passed away, we lived on a quiet street next to a park with a beautiful lake that met the ocean. When the tide was out, we would throw rocks into the small current where the ocean and the lake met in an attempt to get across--we did cross, many times, and played along the top of the hill and on the trail, once even got into trouble and got stuck when the tide came in and dusk hit. Who am I kidding. Once? I was always getting into trouble. I was adventurous and fearless and curious and brave.

Then I grew older, and with every growing year those qualities withered away. What is it about age that has us working backwards? The qualities of youth come so naturally when you're living them. We grow older and prompt ourselves to take more risks, overcome our fears and sink in to our creativity. At what point did we lose ourselves to being cautious and overprotective and downright scared to live? With our wisdom of the world and knowledge of the horrors that surround us, we lose our natural beauty. Maybe it's the balance we seek. I'd like to blame parenthood for my lack of free spirit, but to be honest, I don't think it was that. It happened long before that. I was locked in a negative thinking cycle and lost my joy. I had to break the cycle. With every misfortune, there is a new beginning, a lesson learned, a story. With every tear, a new sparkle should grow. In all suffering, we should grow towards the sun, not sink deeper into ground. That strength is within us. We are capable of being so much more than what we initially think. If only we could believe in ourselves like we believe in others.








today's goal: Remind yourself today that you can do that thing you have always wanted to do. Think of your life as a blank page, a new beginning, a place of perfect opportunities. Because if you believe it, who's stopping you?

xo,
Courtney

These are beautiful pictures, of which I have Maegan to thank. I talk about her a lot, don't I? You'll see her soon, I hope...