I’m that girl. The one who wants to hang out with her mom – yes, still – on Friday nights. The one who talks to her parents every day whether on text, email, FaceTime or just the phone. I joke with my dad and make him buy me pizza and beer, and I drag Dylan to my grandma’s house for Thursday night dinner. I’m not sure Dylan knew what he was getting into when he said he would move with me so I could be closer in proximity to my parents house. Because I’m going to want to continue to hang out with them, and joke with them, and cry with them until, well, hopefully forever.

(This is me and my mom on Halloween – she wears the wig to work  as a scary secretary – she is awesome. Do I ever take a normal photo? Not often)

I got a double bonus in that I also am the girl who is TOTALLY ok hanging out with my future in-laws on a Saturday night. I text my future father in-law, have great conversation with my future mother in-law, and am as comfortable at their house as I am at the house I grew up in. That’s saying something. Skeptics go ahead – tell me about how this is going to change, and I will grow to desire my own space, and my own life, and hate my in-laws. Well things may change, but I hope that weekend encounters, and family dinners and Sunday outings with my parents – both sets – continue.  They have wisdom and guidance, and humor and vulnerability and free dinners to share!

(This is me and my future father in-law. We switched sunglasses for our afternoon stroll- he can rock them don’t you think?)

One of the beautiful things I love about my parents is their openness to the world and all that it has to offer. This is progress, for them, and for me, but I would say that in the past 5 years our family has gone through some significant struggles. These struggles have brought us closer, helped me to grow up, changed our dynamic, and forced us to examine those good ol’ family patterns that you may not like to admit. I am the oldest you know, and strongly demonstrate the side effects of the “I got this, I can take care of it, and take care of you” syndrome. We are working on it.

This new openness also has led both of my parents to change their home screens on their new iPhones to say “Let Go and Trust the Universe.” If there is a better mantra, please let me know. We all also have the same therapist. I’m a big advocate for therapy and think everyone can benefit from an hour a week where you pay someone to talk about things you’d rather not think about. Just kidding, it’s been huge for me, and huge for my family. Now you are probably thinking, where is she going with this? Isn’t this supposed to be about beauty??

Well as openness to the world, and therapy, and my parents culminate into one great expression of beauty for the week I would like to look at what we affectionately call our “Gifts from the Universe”.  Maybe it’s a song lyric, maybe it’s a picture, or a quote that speaks to us in ways we didn’t imagine. Maybe its the suggestion of Valerian Root drops to help me sleep, or a friend dropping a line who you haven’t heard from in quite some time. But this week, for my beautiful things, I will share some of the “Gifts from the Universe” that my family and I shared with each other.

• If you are looking for a song, I suggest checking out Tyronne Wells song “Give It Time”   It spoke to me this week.
• If you are looking for some words, here is the Valentine’s Day affirmation my mom sent me:

(I told you, we have a hippy therapist)

Here are 10 affirmations to help you love yourself and bring more love into your life.

1. I choose to see clearly with eyes of love. I love what I see.
2. Love happens! I release the desperate need for love, and instead, allow it to find me in the perfect time.
3. Love is around every corner, and joy fills my entire world.
4. Today, I remember that Life loves me and will reward me.
5. Life is very simple. What I give out comes back to me. Today I chose to give love.
6. I rejoice in the love I encounter every day.
7. I am surrounded by love. All is well.
8. I am comfortable looking in the mirror and saying, “I love you. I really love you.”
9. I draw love and acceptance into my life, and I accept it now.
10. Love is all there is!

• If you are looking for an image, my dad follows this artist named Hugh MacLeod who does Gapingvoid Cartoons. His little cartoons help me and my dad connect each week, and I really loved this one.

• If you are looking for a laugh, here is a picture of my 80 year grandma and me when I was trying to teach her about ‘selfies’. Don’t tell her she’s on here, she may not like this face being out on the world wide web.

What were your “Gifts from the Universe” this week? I’d love to hear about them. Keep your eyes open, beauty comes in unexpected packages.