A Beautiful Life

Life ain't always beautiful

Sometimes it's just plain hard

Life can knock you down, it can break your heart

Life ain't always beautiful

You think you're on your way

And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day

But the struggles make you stronger

And the changes make you wise

And happiness has its own way of takin' its sweet time

No, life ain't always beautiful

Tears will fall sometimes

Life ain't always beautiful

But it's a beautiful ride

Life ain't always beautiful

Some days I miss your smile

I get tired of walkin' all these lonely miles

And I wish for just one minute

I could see your pretty face

Guess I can dream, but life don't work that way

But the struggles make me stronger

And the changes make me wise

And happiness has its own way of takin' its sweet time

No, life ain't always beautiful

But I know I'll be fine

Hey, life ain't always beautiful

But it's a beautiful ride

What a beautiful ride

~Gary Allan, Life Ain’t Always Beautiful

I’ve been in a funk the past few days, and whether it’s due to lack of sleep, hormones, anxiety getting the best of me, disappointment or frustration about people or things I have no control over, or a combination of them all, the bottom line is, I don’t like feeling this way.

I mean, really, who does? But what’s important to remember is yes, there are a great many things I don’t have a choice about, but my attitude isn’t one of them.

“You think you’re on your way/And it’s just a dead end road at the end of the day”  

This is how I’ve felt a lot lately, and I was getting impatient about certain circumstances. But today, when I changed my attitude, my outlook changed as well. No, I’m not exactly where I’d like to be right now. And I’ve witnessed my fair share of dead-ends, too, but I’ve forgotten about all the people I’ve met along those roads, and all the things I’ve had the opportunity to experience because I’ve walked down them. Sometimes, I’m so eager for my life to change that I don’t stop and think about the repercussions of those changes. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and it’s important to cherish everything—every moment, every adventure—for what it is, because some things only happen once.

“Tears will fall sometimes”

It used to be that every time I cried, or felt the need to cry, I would beat myself up, tell myself how weak I was because I didn’t think strong people needed to shed tears. How absolutely ridiculous. I’ve finally realized that the strongest people I know are the ones who aren’t afraid to admit they’re not okay, who aren’t afraid to acknowledge and talk about their problems. It takes a lot of courage to be “real,” and it takes a lot of strength to allow yourself to let go, cry, and then get up and try again.

And that brings me to the real reason for this post. When I started my blog, I had difficulty choosing a name for it. One of my best friends, Colleen, suggested picking something that was important to me, something that reflected my past, present, future. She also mentioned that after she decided on a name for her own blog, she posted about it because it's really meaningful to her, and she wanted people to understand her choice.

I pondered our conversation over a glass or three of wine and decided on the name La Bella Vita, or a beautiful life in Italian. And I'd like to share the reasons behind my choice. 

My dad is half Italian, which makes me one-quarter, and although I haven't had the opportunity to visit the country (it’s on my bucket list :)), I love everything about it. From the food and wine to the language to the history. And the slower-paced way Italians choose to live their lives.

“Life ain’t always beautiful, but it’s a beautiful ride”

So true. On good days (which, I’m happy to say, are more abundant now than they ever used to be, and far outweigh the bad), this is my mantra. Sure, I’ve experienced some pretty awful things (maybe not compared to other people’s horrors, but awful for me), but when it’s all said and done, I’m still breathing. I’m still functioning. I’m still surrounded by people who love me, care about me, and want the best for me. And who let me know it, every single day.

There are so many beautiful things in this life. So many things that make this life beautiful. … If you let them.