Wednesday, July 29, 2015

#beblessedlovelies

If you guys have been around these parts for any length of time, you know that I thought the world of Leslie Sisti. A Blonde Ambition was one of the first blogs I began reading religiously, and I loved watching her sweet love story with Stephen unfold. And then we became mommies around the same time, and I so identified with her approach to motherhood and life generally (though I'll never achieve her flawless style and perfect combination of wit and Southern charm).

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After the birth of her youngest daughter, Ainsley, Leslie was hospitalized for quite some time for a heart condition. She eventually was able to come back home to be with her family but returned recently after her health took another turn for the worse.

And on Monday, Leslie went home to be with Jesus. 

All I can think about is her husband, who clearly thought Leslie hung the moon, and her precious baby girls who now have to grow up without their precious mama. There's a GoFundMe account where you can donate money to be saved for her daughters' college funds. Leslie was brilliant, and I know her babies' education will have meant the world to her.

In honor of her beautiful memory, I thought I'd share some of the words she wrote a couple of years ago after she had Caroline. I will remind myself of these words and avail myself of Leslie's wisdom when the day-to-day struggle threatens to rob me of my joy:

Know what I call a success these days? 
Holding in this girl. Going to sleep at night knowing that I really savored the moments of the day, which God so generously gave me. Seeing my husband walk in the door and pick up our daughter, his face beaming as he says, "Hey kiddo." The three of us spending a Friday night on the couch snuggled up in front of the fireplace with cheese pizza and an even cheesier Lifetime movie. 
I have a sneaking suspicion that no one will remember me for a spotless kitchen floor. Or a stack of perfectly folded towels. Or for my promptness on replying to emails. 
No, I'd rather them say that I was a great wife and a great mom. 
Isn't it the quality of the relationships with those we hold dear that really enriches us? 
I tend to think so. 
My wish for all of us as this holiday season kicks off is to drink each moment in fully. Live in the here and now. Don't fret over a perfect table setting or making sure the house is in magazine-order condition. Instead, just take it all in. 
I think one of the best ways to thank God for the people in your life is to spend your time with them well. Make it count.

Hold your love ones a little tighter, friends. Make time for the things that matter and spend time with the ones you love well. We only get this one life.

Make it count.

Be blessed, lovelies.

11 comments:

Joey Hodges said...

I only knew of Leslie in passing, but what a lovely woman. My heart aches so much for her sweet babies and husband. Lifting them up in prayer.

Kristin said...

Oh my gosh. This is awful. I've followed her blog for a couple of years now, here and there. How did you come to find out about this? (i.e. I've been checking for updates). Ugh. Heartache indeed.

The Tale of Three Ps said...

What a wonderful tribute. Lots of prayers for her family and those sweet girls especially.

Emily said...

I've felt so sick about this since finding out yesterday...So saddened by this loss, Leslie was a wonderful person, friend, mother, wife, daughter, sister...she will be missed by many. Praying for peace for all.

Lynn | Motherhood in Motion said...

Thank you for sharing our hashtag. Leslie was one in a million.

Unknown said...

What a sweet tribute and I love that you found a passage from Leslie's blog that really embodies her.

Tricia Nae said...

I've read her blog on and off for years. I'm still in shock...it's just so heartbreaking. Praying for her husband and those sweet babies. :(

Kate said...

My heart just dropped when I saw your title, because I feared the worst. I had hoped and prayed she would pull through, and my heart really does break for her children, her husband, and her family who have to go through this.

Unknown said...

Beautiful tribute. Her words are incredibly poignant and profound. I'm praying for her husband and precious babies.

Unknown said...

That is a really amazing quote by her that you wrote here- I hadn't seen that quote yet. She was such a talented writer so it was so hard for me to not have a 10 page post about her when I'd heard the news. She has so many amazing quotes! I'm sure someone will write a book or movie about her life someday, because not only was she fabulous, funny, beautiful and talented, she was real.. and had such an interesting story and life! She will be missed by so many and I have been so sad about it all!

Virginia
theritzyglitzy.com

~Manda Jo~ said...

I recently stumbled across your blog and I absolutely love it! Your tribute to Leslie is beautiful. You are a wonderful writer! Thank you for sharing!

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