Write | Inspire | Dream
As I build La.Rue, I want you to be more and more confident to come here with a problem and the expectation of finding a solution. To do that, we have to build trust between us. To build that trust, I want to share parts of my life that maybe don’t have the most to do with Intentional Living but are incredibly important to me, like my family. My parents are the two most important people in my life. My mom and dad have always taught me that my life is meant to be extraordinary. There is a reason I have the relationship I do with my parents, and I tell people this often. In a later blog, I will tell you all about my brother Joshua and how we came to lose him in March of 2016. But for now, I want to explain the incredible blessing that came from his loss, which is the family dynamic we now have. When Joshua passed away, my parents were divorced, but over time, through grief, pain, and healing, we realized that those reasons no longer really mattered, and all that did matter was that we had each other. Now, five years later, and with me living back home temporarily, post-surgery, and semi post-pandemic, my parents and I have never had a stronger bond as a family.
Mama L’Heureux
Oh, where to begin… My mom is my best friend; she is the first person I go to in any situation. With good news, bad news, questions, and life advice, my mom is my confidant and my friend. I have never known another person to be so selfless and so caring. I often tell her that that is not always the best trait to have, but I always see her patience and courage to be kind. She has an incredible passion for being a mother, and although I’m nowhere near close, I know that one day, she will make an amazing grandmother. My mom grew up in Wisconsin with two brothers and two sisters, and she sat right in the middle. Although she misses her family back up in Wisconsin, she loves Florida and its heat. She recently bought a stunning new home that we had so much fun decorating and moving into.
My mom is someone who, no matter how far apart we are, she is always by my side. I share a great understanding of the world with my mom; we have an incredible bond that allows us to see the unique opportunities the world has to offer. My mom has always supported me in everything I do, always encouraged, pushed, and shown great interest in whatever I pursue. But what I love the most about my mom is how much pride and achievement she sees in me. From pageants to dance, from college to La.Rue, all that and what is in between, my mom has always been so proud of who I am, what I believe in, and what I have a passion for. Her support has always been a driving force in my achievement, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.
To my mom, there are no words to explain how much I love you, so I promise to spend the rest of my life making you proud, as a way to say I love you.
Papa Bear
My dad and I have a great bond that ties us together. We have always had this amazing father-daughter relationship that has been built off of our mutual interests. My dad taught me how to bowl as a kid; he taught me how to love sports, and most of all, he taught me to have an incredible sense of humor. My dad is my family’s main source of entertainment. So often we find ourselves laughing hysterically at some of the ridiculous things he says. The hilarity usually lasts for days, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many stories we have of my dad that follow us on family trips. For several years when my brother and I were kids we would take family trips to North Carolina over the summers. One year we went to the Biltmore, and we were walking through the wine vineyards when my dad reached up to the trellis and grabbed a grape with two fingers and said, “Is this real?” He proceeded to squeeze the grape and the juice flew right into his eye. As you can imagine, whenever we see grapes, we question their reality.
Even though my dad is the funny man of the family, he is also my papa bear, my protector, a man I am proud of. My dad has overcome so much heartache and difficulty in his life, he often reminds me that I am capable of doing the same. My dad grew up in a small town outside of Boston with two brothers and three sisters, also sitting in the middle. He works in construction, installing cabinets in incredibly lavish and expenisive homes. He is incredibly talented in his trade and likes to describe the work as a lost art. My dad passed down qualities of hard-work, humor, and humility to me. I am incredibly grateful for his support in La.Rue. Because of my dad, I have the strength never to let anyone tell me what I can and cannot do. No matter who, or no matter what the situation, my dad has always taught me to fight for my dreams.
To my dad, our lives have changed so much in the last five years. In the year that Joshua passed away, I thought I had lost a piece of you, and then I almost lost you. Our relationship, bond, and love brought you back to life and gave me hope. I love you so incredibly much.
I hope you have enjoyed meeting my family as much as I have enjoyed introducing them to you; without my parents, Bruce and Janette, I would not be where I am today and La.Rue would not exist. I am looking forward to the day when I tell you about Joshua. If you’d like to learn more about me and who I am, you can read the About Lauren Page, but until then, I look forward to sharing more with you about my life in the future.
