A Day at the BeacH

Thoughts for Thursday (Moving Moments #2)~ While I can't say the last three weeks have been a walk in the park, we sure had a wonderful day at the beach this past Saturday.  

When I first downloaded this picture the phrase, "picture perfect...even when life isn't!" came to my mind.  Isn't it amazing how a picture can be worth a thousand, but a picture sometimes doesn't tell the true story at all?  This picture is both simultaneously.  

• After hours spent packing, in transition, unpacking, tired, and unsettled, our time at the beach was bliss.  It actually felt like we were on vacation.  The boys were grinning ear-to-ear, the scenery and weather were nothing short of beautiful.  We were together as a family.  
• We are facing an ocean of uncertainty as we transition into our new home, new schools, new jobs, and new acquaintances.  Despite the beautiful blue water backdrop, we are not on vacation.  Up until this picture was taken, we had been together as a family...pretty much 24/7 for three weeks, in hotel rooms and houses full of boxes...enough said :).  
• Perhaps the picture is not worth a thousand words, but from either side of the coin, regardless of the positives and the negatives, it does say we have each other, whether or not we are temporarily sick of each other, we face these uncharted waters together.

If you received this picture from a friend, I expect something positive would be the first thing to pop into your mind.  Sometimes others' lives may seem picture perfect.  However, a life lesson worth learning is that life as it really is, is rarely as wonderful as the picture may appear.  This lesson is two fold: 1) Especially with social media these days, don't let the screen fool you.  Don't perceive the perfection others may exhibit as fact.  It rarely is and only leaves you chasing the unattainable.   2) Life may not be picture perfect, but it is sure worth living!  These special moments are interwoven into the fabric of our daily lives, as stressful and imperfect as they may be.