A Valentine For My Children: Travelling Life's Journey with Love, Family Traditions and Faith

With Valentine’s Day approaching next Friday, today, I want to share a few thoughts with my children, pictured below, [ and with you, readers ] on traveling life’s journey with love, family traditions and faith.

[ As many of you know, our 18 year old daughter, Amy, is getting ready to start her first year in college this fall, at the University of Texas in Austin and our 15 year old son, Grant, is at home with my husband and I – and just received his driving permit. They are pictured together below. We are so proud of the intelligent, independent young woman Amy has become and the smart, capable young man our son is and love them both so much. ]

[ For any of you that are mothers and fathers, you know the joy that comes when you see your children happy – and you know the bumps along the road, too. And you know, if you’re a stay at home Mom like I’ve chosen to be since they were born, that, at one point, you have to begin to prepare to live the 2nd half of your own life, which is what I did by starting this blog, Hadley Court, a year and a half ago, dedicated to the principles of Gracious Living. Timeless Design. Family Traditions and by starting my formal interior design practice here in Midland, almost two years ago now, with Chancellor Interiors.

These values , the values of how to live graciously, with timeless style and with manners, with an appreciation not only for the luxuries in life but for the things that have no financial value, like clean air, fresh food, loving pets, were given to me by my Mother, who now lives close to our family here in Midland, during all those summers I spent as a young girl myself, at our family’s summer home in Arkansas, Hadley Court, pictured below. These are the same values my husband and I have worked to instill in our daughter and son. ]

Amy and Grant, each day now, we are privileged to witness how you both, as teens, have incorporated these values into your own lives, through your interactions with your school friends, with us, with your friends in church and with your grandparents. We are blessed by you and love you.

One of the values we’ve taught you is how to say thank you. Though you may not always have time to say thank you with letterpress and calligraphy cards like this sample below I love, we almost always see you remember to send a thank you note, whether using Paperless Post or a handwritten note sent through regular mail, to those that host or help you. We are so glad you know that saying thank you is at the heart of Gracious Living.

{ Readers, I wrote a bit more about the art of how to write a gracious thank you note, here. }

And as you continue your journey in life, Amy and Grant, and I continue mine with Hadley Court, [ and you, readers, continue yours ] please always keep this thought close to your hearts: