The Red Couch

I have this red couch.  Dark red.  We bought it off of a 4th year medical student when we first got married because our brown leather couch had a huge tear right in the middle of it.  It was cheap and we needed a couch.  I have hated it since the minute we got it.  Red just isn't my color.

Well we just bought a new house, and as I've been trying to style it and come up with how I want things decorated, I just became more and more annoyed that we have a red couch. So I started looking into buying other couches.  Prettier (way more expensive) couches that would fit into my decor style better.  And I only came out even more frustrated because we just simply couldn't afford it.  Or I could blow all of our new house money on a couch and then be left with nothing else to spend on other stuff.  Sigh.  (I know, I know, first world problems...)

And I finally came to a simple decision.  A decision that I've made many times before in other aspects of my life and yet once again had forgotten the value of embracing.  I needed to embrace the red couch.  Embrace it for exactly what it is and stop wishing that it would be different.  So I started researching how to style dark red couches, and what do you know! A lot of what I found fit into my design aesthetic.  All of the sudden I stopped wishing for a different couch and have even become grateful that our couch is this color because it just fits so perfectly into our living room that I have laid out. Hey, I'm even sitting on this red couch right now.  And loving it! :)

And I was just reminded once again of the importance of embracing.  I really, truly feel that it is the secret to life.  Embrace change as it comes, because you can't escape it.  Embrace people as they are, because you can't change them.  And embrace the circumstances that you are in, because so many things are often out of our control.  It is so easy to get frustrated with well... pretty much anything right? People offend you, they aren't socially aware, they do stupid things, they don't parent their children how you think they should, they are flaky, they disappoint, and the list goes on.  But everyone has good in them.  Everyone. When you embrace someone for who they are, you are accepting that they have faults and you are giving them the benefit of the doubt.  You are trusting that they are trying their best and need forgiveness, just like you do.  You are also seeing the good in them and recognize the amazing qualities that God gave to them.  You appreciate the positives they add to your life.  When you embrace, you honestly live a happier, less frustrating life.  Trust me!

I feel like I have been able to truly love where I live because I have embraced Danville, PA for what it is.  Of course I have my times where I miss my "big city living," but there are so SO many wonderful things about living in a rural small town in central PA.  The people here are amazing, community driven people. The scenery around here is absolutely gorgeous and it is so fun to get out and explore it all.  And going to all of the small town festivals and parades has truly been a blast for me and my family.  This little town (and surrounding areas) has so much to offer.  I am blessed to be here.  But I wouldn't feel blessed if I hadn't learned to embrace it all.

I have written about this before, but the best piece of advice I have ever received was when I was in Jerusalem, getting ready to fly home.  It was my last day there and I was going home to graduate from BYU the next day and move on into the adult world.  I asked my director's wife for her best piece of life advice and she said "unpack your bags." Whenever you face change, and a new place, unpack your bags.  It doesn't matter if you are going to be somewhere for a few weeks, a few months, or a few years.  Throw yourself into your ward, community, job, etc and act like you are never leaving.  Love everyone around you, explore everywhere around you, and embrace the circumstances that face you.  That is what will make you happy.  And I have to say, I couldn't agree with her more.  Especially after all of the changes I have gone through since that last day in Jerusalem.  

So embrace that red couch in your life.  Seriously- it will change you for the better!