We grew up together in Sheridan,
a small city (25,000 people) in North Wyoming.
We dated a little bit and had an immediate lifelong connection.
Her dad Jim and I got on very well…
he passed in 1992 and we both miss him dearly.
She ended up dating a young man from our hometown
and I started dating a young girl as well.
We went our separate ways and lost contact for 27 years (3 years ago).
When we started visiting together, we found the spark was still there.
A year of long distance, her in Minnesota and me in Wyoming,
seeing each other when we could…
she and her two boys (Owen 16 and Riley 12)
came out to Wyoming for a long Christmas vacation
to meet me and my two girls (Aubrey 10 and Reese 7).
We all felt the family form almost immediately.
In February 2017 we moved Jen and her boys to Casper Mountain
to live with me and the girls (when I have them 2 days every two weeks).
Life is a blessing, and we are excited to live the rest of our adventures together.
We have palm tree tattoos on our backs to signify that the universe can be tough
but the palm will bend and not break…
The tattoos also have “RAT” in them to remember her dad Jim “Rat” Ratliff.
We believe in God,
but speak often of the “Universe” and taking what we get from that…
We try to believe every day that we have life better than most
and are truly blessed to be where we are.
Jen’s nickname is Lola,
even our kids call her that and mine is Mr. Man.
If you throw a Mr Man and Lola or two in there we certainly wouldn’t be upset.
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A Luv Story Blessing – Born in a Small City
Everything that has happened… Had to.
The word ‘God’ is not ‘God’, it is just the word we use
to label the ineffable concept that is ‘God’.
“God” is beyond our humble human ability to conceptualize…
But all spiritual traditions fundamentally agree that,
The essence of “God” is all that “Is”.
‘God’ is beyond the concepts of the micromanagement of a “will”,
But there is defiantly a Divine ‘Way’.
This Divine Way arises in the way the ‘Universe’ unfolds its Great Mystery
to us in all that ‘Is’.
Be in Love with all that “Is”,
and you will never be disappointed.
There is a ‘Divine Synchronicity’ in the ‘Way’ of the Universe…
It’s not that ‘God’ micromanages everything microsecond of our existence…
But there is something Way Deeper…
There is Grace beyond our knowing, that gave you both a taste
of what’s to come, when you first met.
Life happens as it does, and whatever has happened…
It was meant to.
To argue with what has already happened
is to argue with Reality itself.
27 years of life goes by …
as we each take our own personal steps along
The Path of our life’s journey.
One never knows where our destiny will lead us,
We can only have the ‘Right Mindfulness’
to put forth the ‘Right Effort’ to take that first step.
“Mr. Man & Lola”
Having personally inspiring names that the kids embrace
Is certainly a Blessing of a Deep connection
that goes straight to the hearts of kids,
this brings you so much closer to their world
😉
The personal philosophic significance of the Palm Tree
is a great ‘motto for life’.
As it bends with the harsh winds of life, yet never breaks.
In Spiritual traditions, they call this
‘Equanimity’,
Having an even keeled balance approach to…
All that “Is”.
In the Hindu Spiritual tradition, Lord Ganesh represents
“the removal of obstacles”,
His ‘Divine mount’ was the Rat which symbolizes the virtues of:
Friendliness and kindness of all beings,
Compassion to alleviate the suffering of others,
Empathic joy – rejoicing in the achievements and happiness of others.
Non-attachment – considered & contemplative indifference to worldly matters.
It seems that Jen’s Dad had these virtues…
The True Nature of our Being is Bliss.
This Bliss has no material substance,
and thus,
Our Natural Bliss cannot be affected by any materialistic concerns
that are outside the core of our Being.
As the ups & downs of life blow harsh winds our way…
Know you can bend and dance and sway
to the Divine Way of the Universe.
Experience the perfection of all that “Is”
in the ever-present moments of life,
Do this together and you will forevermore… and more, experience
Eternal Maui Marital Bliss
