Leonardo Di Vinci said, "Curiosity is the secret to life." He meant that as long as you remain curious about everything you will never grow bored or tired or lose interest in this wonderful gift of life that has been so selfishly bestowed upon you. And thus you remain immortal. Immortal in the moments and memories and the people you met along the way.

I have always lived my life this way. I always wondered and explored and imagined. Why must we do things one certain way or have one definition of happiness?

This never made sense to me and at times got me into trouble. I was never the kid that slid into the mold of education. The kid that made straight As and everyone adored and just knew would someday be something. I was the kid that couldn't pass spelling tests and never (to the day) understood why math problems only had one correct answer. And one correct way to retrieve that answer.

So I promised that one day if I were ever to be a parent I would raise my kids with the philosophy that variety is the spice of life. That curiosity is the secret of life, and all the other cliches and quotes we hang on our cubicles, but never really believe. And I did just that.

When my husband met me he thought I was crazy. And that's true. The one thing my husband and I had in common was that we were the first in our family to attend a university. The first to reach outside of the everyday and seek more. What else don't we know? I knew life was an adventure. He knew there were bills to pay and somehow we made it work.

11 years later we recently started a new life on the Atlantic coast of Florida. Moving somewhere new where you know no one isn't something undiscovered for me. It was for him. We had doubts...many, many doubts. But we persisted and we never quit and we never gave up because even though this move was so hard on our 8 and 10 year olds, we knew that this new adventure was going to be worth it. We knew this would teach them what they are made of, that they can preserver in the depths of uncertainty, in the realms of constant disappointment, you will be okay. You are strong, little ones. You are resilient. You have our southern blood with our history of grit mixed with a side of determination which tells you that no matter how hard life gets, you never, ever quit. You continue to strive and yearn to know more. Always keep learning. Always keep growing. Never stop being curious. Even when things get hard. That my babies is when you discover who you really are.

Because when the curiosity dies, so does your heart.

So keep chugging along my children, always asking and questioning and searching for answers and the truth. The questions may be hard, but the answers will never be wrong. For you, my child, were born to two people who tested boundaries and dared to go the extra mile, because why not? Why be fearful? Never, ever regret the things you have done in life children, only the things you didn't do.

And that is the real secret to life. Enjoy, indulge, try everything and drink it all in cause we are only here for a short time. Leave your mark. And never ever be afraid to howl at the moon when the moment strikes. You my child have a place and a purpose and a reason for being, otherwise you wouldn't be here at all.