Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Blog Namin'

I wanted to start the new year off right regarding my blog.  After wishing my brother a Happy Birthday, I knew what my next topic would be--telling you why my blog is called Safe in the Arms of Love.  It's about time, right?!
















Have you ever wondered why people name their blogs the way they do?  One of my friends has a blog called "Chase Simplicity".  She's often quoted Leonardo Da Vinci's "Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication."  Although I've not confirmed with her, I believe she titled her blog Chase Simplicity because she is seeking happiness in the simplest form.  Perhaps it's a reminder that you don't need extravagance to have sophistication. 

Source: favim.com via Boya on Pinterest



Another of my friends blog is called "Miyan-Overseas".  She started the blog when she decided to travel back to her roots (Israel) to study Hebrew.  When she first left, she thought she'd only be over there as a "study abroad" type adventure. 

She still lives there, and has since changed the header of her blog to read Fly Far.  I believe she re-labeled her blog Fly Far because that's what she's done and perhaps she uses that motto as encouragement to not run home so quickly.  She left Texas to venture out to learn more, flew far from her safety net, and in the process, re-discovered herself. 



Truth be told, I had a little difficulty finding a name for my blog.  At first, I tried "Finance Chic" because I work in finance.  But, I thought it was dumb, so I moved on rather quickly. 

Below is the story of how my blog came to be.

Back during my freshman year of college, I went through a particularly bad break-up.  (Sorry Honey, you can skip over this part if you want.  I hadn't met you yet!)  I lived in the dorms with my best friend from High School, Chase Simplicity.  She was the one who helped me recover.  But you know when you are heartbroken and somehow music helps?  Well, each night, I would set my Itunes to our "sleep" play list, and we'd fall asleep to an assortment of songs.  There was a Pat Green tune, a Honey Brown song, a Sara Evans hit, and among others, a Martina McBride favorite. 

Martina McBride's song "Safe in the Arms of Love" put me to sleep over and over again.  As the days after the breakup went by, I constantly had this song playing in my head. 

In my quite time, I'd find myself singing over and over again these lyrics:

I want arms that know how to rock me
Safe in the arms of love
I wanna fall and know that love has caught me

Safe in the arms of love
I want a heart to be forever mine
Want eyes to see me satisfied
Gonna hang my heartaches out to dry
Some day I'm gonna be safe in the arms of love


It helped me heal.  It reminded me that this breakup wasn't going to leave me alone and single forever.  One day, I was going to be safe in the arms of love.  It gave me hope and a peace in my heart that I'd one day fall in love with the man I was supposed to truly love. 

So, the years of college flew by (way too fast), I forgot all about that breakup, lost touch with my college roommate, found my prince charming, and got married.



About 6 months after I was married, I got a facebook message from Chase Simplicity.  It read:

Safe in the Arms of Love:
I heard that song on the way home from the gym this morning.  Of course it made me think of you playing it every night before you went to bed in the dorm.  Random, I know.  So glad you found your safe-ness.

I started crying (at my desk at work) when I read this.  I'd forgotten about how much that song helped me!  I hadn't listened to it in quite a while. 

As I sat there processing all of this, I realized why I'd forgotten about the song.  At some point, I didn't need it to encourage me any more, I knew it to be true.  And then, at another point, I found those safe arms.  I guess those words became etched in my mind, because as I thought about the man I married, I realized he was all of those things in that song that I'd longed for all those years ago.  Years before I met my husband, I made it my mantra to find the guy would would love me, hug me, and see me satisfied.  Divine prophesy?  Maybe, but I just believe every girl should find the man that matches up to Martina's lyrics. 

So, after scratching the original, stupid, lame title of "Finance Chic" and reaching deeper into my heart, it dawned on my that I was, at that moment, Safe in the Arms of Love

What does the name of your blog stand for?  What does it mean to you?

Monday, January 2, 2012

Happy Birthday Bub!

For those of you who don't know, my brother is a New Year's baby.  That's right, his claim to fame is that he was "the first baby born in Winkler County" in 1980. 



Pat, you are the best brother a girl could ask for.  I'll never forget the time I got the brand new keyboard for Christmas, then you locked me in my closet and let Tara play it.  I'll also never forget the time we decided it was a good idea to bike around White Rock Lake on the HOTTEST day of the year, without any water, right after we ate at the Cici's buffet.  (Man, that really sucked.) 



I love you so much and am so excited for all of the great things going on in your life.  When you're Mayor of Midland, don't forget about your favorite sister (and all the great childhood photos I could blackmail you with).  I'd be great at holding the Key to the City.