Gratitude Challenge, Day 4

Today I am supposed to write about being grateful for some of the difficult things in my life:

Dear Colorado,

I still don't love you. Moving to live in your state wasn't the best or worst decision we ever made. I think we can be friends.

I think you're beautiful in the Fall, but you are one of the hardest roads we've ever traveled. I still don't love you. But, in the end, my family has learned more about everything since we moved here. We've had the Chinese Wall of character building. The Titanic ocean liner of character building. We have been forced to bloom where we are planted, make lemonade, live in the moment, rely on each other, redefine ourselves, find ourselves, and learn to find real, true joy in any situation or any place. And, in the end, even though we still may not completely understand why we're here, we are undoubtedly, inestimably better people now. We have evolved!!!! Do you see how many exclamation points I'm using there? I may have even made up some of those words.

Thank you for the sunshine, the fantastic public schools and the virtually nonexistent traffic. It's also lovely to live near family. Colorado, we are still going to talk about our deep, meaningful relationship with Washington. Washington, you are the Tom Hanks to my Meg Ryan. You are the steamed milk in my Latte, if I could have dairy. You are so sophisticated and shiny and beautiful. I miss what we had together...

Colorado, I think Jerry Maguire said it best, when he said, "I am out here for you. You don't know what it's like to be ME out here for YOU. It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about, ok?"

Pride swallowing siege, indeed.

Love,
Rebecca