In case ya haven’t heard, I GOT MARRIED!  Yes, me! I still can’t believe it myself but I have to tell you I have never felt so happy and content in my life!  Truth be told I am actually pretty shocked at how I feel! Kyle and I have lived together for over 6 years so I honestly didn’t think getting “married” would really feel that different!  Boy was I wrong! However, that wasn’t the only amazing thing that happened.

Our wedding was small and intimate.  We actually held it at a little restaurant overlooking my favorite place, the Shallotte River.  I decided that I wanted to share the “story” of Kyle and I on our wedding day by posting pictures of us throughout the restaurant.  I thought it would be awesome to just share our journey as a couple over these past few years. A few days before the wedding I started going through dozens of pictures on my computer looking for the perfect pictures to share. I placed them all in a file and sent them to be printed.  Yes, printed…imagine that! Actually having a real photo in your hand…lol While I was gathering all the photos I was also taking a wonderful walk down memory lane. That journey led me to learn a very valuable lesson, one I will never forget.

It is funny because I am old enough to remember when we actually printed out pictures.  We kept them in physical albums and hung photos on our walls throughout our homes. Nowadays we keep most of our pictures on our phones and/or we post them to social media. Sadly, each of those memories gets buried by the latest post or additions to our picture folder. When I actually printed them out and looked at each one of them the memories and feelings from each photo began flooding back.  There were so many amazing experiences and times we had shared.  Sadly, I had completely forgotten about some of them. As I continued looking through the photos it reminded me of how awesome we truly are together, how much we have brought to each other’s lives and it made me even more excited for our future together.  

The night before the wedding I was putting up all the pictures.  One by one remembering each incredible moment, each experience and I had a thought.  We live in a world where everything is so easily disposable, especially relationships.  I couldn’t help but think if when a relationship is about to end (whether it be a friend, family member, significant other, business partnership, etc) I wonder what would happen if before we walked away we sat and looked at all those photos of us and that person?  How would that change things?  

Owning your own business is not easy.  Being a boss is even more difficult. Over the years I have learned time and time again that people never seem to remember what you have done for them (the job you gave them, the money you lent them, the business and personal support you have given them, the constant shoulder for them to cry on, and on and on and on).  Sadly, they only seem to remember that moment when you have to set a boundary for the sake of your business.  At that moment everything else goes out the window and you become the enemy. Relationships are the same way. We never seem to remember all the wonderful times. We just seem to remember “that bad moment” and that is the moment we allow to define our lives and our relationship.  That is the moment we use to justify our walking away.  

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. As I begin my married life (marriage 2 for me) I hope I am a little wiser, a little more willing to compromise and a little more willing to work hard to remember all the reasons we are together and all the wonderful things we have done and will continue to do as a couple.  My biggest hope of all is that when we hit those moments where it would be really easy to forget, in THAT very moment, I will look at all the photos of us and remember what makes us so awesome as a couple! I hope you will do the same regardless of what type of relationship you are focusing on.