Celebrating the Good Life

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Allstate. All opinions are 100% mine.

As I sit here on my deck watching the kids play in the yard, I am finding myself overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude. I know that having a yard to play and relax in may seem trivial to many, and admittedly, it's a simple pleasure. But to me, it's bigger than that. It's everything to me. Seeing my children happy is everything, because that wasn't always the case.

You see, we moved from Virginia to my hometown in Ohio almost a year ago. I had been in Virginia for almost 20 years, and I had always been a bit homesick. Plus, I was very unhappy with the environment we were living in. People weren't very friendly, you didn't know your neighbors, and the cost of living was insane.

More importantly, my 13 year old son had been relentlessly bullied his entire life. He was called horrible names, physically assaulted, and ridiculed for being "different." He didn't really have a lot of friends, and we didn't have any real family around to offer a more solid support system. It got so bad that he was suffering from depression and didn't want to leave the house. I felt so helpless watching my child, who I love more than life itself, deteriorate. As a mom, you always want to be able to protect your child at all costs. Once a kid is in school, it's not always possible to hold their hand 24/7.

When the local schools refused to do anything effective to stop the bullying, we decided to take matters into our own hands. We wanted to give him a fresh start in a much friendlier and tolerant environment, and it seemed that leaving Virginia behind for good was our best option.

Naturally, Ohio was our first choice. I have tons of family here, and the town where I spent my childhood is amazingly family oriented. There are loads of things for families to do here, and there is a real sense of community. So we figured out a way to make it happen.

Last August, we purchased our "dream home" right by the riverfront. It's an old, century home with tons of original woodwork and a whole lot of charm. It gives us lots of room for the kids to grow, and we're in the town I have missed my whole adult life.It really is a dream come true.

I am not going to lie...Change can be scary. My husband's job changed, my son's school changed, and we went from living in one kind of environment to something completely new. We didn't know anyone other than family, and we had to adjust to life outside of the hustle and bustle of the DC Metro Area.

I truly feel that making this move was the best possible decision we could have made. My kids have a home that is truly theirs to grow up in. We know many of our neighbors. My son is no longer bullied and is outside playing with his friends every day. And we're surrounded by family who love us. These are things that we were seriously lacking in Virginia. We're all so much happier now, and our life in Virginia is a distant memory now. So yes, seeing my kids play in their very own yard without a care in the world makes me get a little misty. Life is good if you're willing to take chances. We're truly living the good life.

Speaking of, Allstate has a brand new vision which celebrates the good in life. By living the Allstate Good Life and throwing fear and doubt out of the equation, we as a society can find what truly matters in our own lives.

Sure, change can be scary, and uncertainty can be intimidating. But the good life is attainable, for those who are willing to be optimistic and step outside of their comfort zone the way my family has.

How do you have the good life? Are there changes you have made that seemed scary at the time, but have changed your life in a positive way? What are you celebrating today? I'd love to hear it!