A few years ago, we went to a fun family-run Greek restaurant on a Sunday night. They had a sign that outlined the house rules. 

The first line made me smile. 

“We laugh a lot in this place.”

One day I was sitting at our kitchen table watching my family laughing, debating, teasing each other, and smiling while eating a good homemade meal together. I subtly wrote out what I thought were the guiding principles of our home.

The words flowed easily. I couldn’t type fast enough on my Iphone with my thumb. When I finished, I read out what I had written to Cathy and the kids. They agreed that my words captured who we are as a family and how we live our lives.

I sent my words to a designer friend. He produced the plaque below that now hangs proudly near our dinner table.

Each line is built from lived experience that has helped shape who we are. Not always easy, glamorous, or with clean, simple outcomes. But hey, I have learned that anything worth doing is never easy.