I remember being in high school and thinking, “Grand Rapids is so boring.”  Or, “there is nothing fun to do around here.”  But as I got older and wiser I learned to appreciate the things that really matter and make Grand Rapids such a cool city.  Over the past 10 years I’ve seen Grand Rapids transform into a place with excellent schools and health care, diverse restaurants, music and art institutions, growing tourism, innovative “green” initiatives and a caring community.  In fact, it makes me proud to be raising my daughter in a place that is the best of both worlds…..a big city feel and strong mid-west values.

I recently came across an article in Rapid Growth Media and it sparked my interest.  Do you think Grand Rapids has the potential to be the next Chicago?  We shall see…..

As I was raking I thought back to a segment we did last fall with Priority Health.  Could this annoying task actually be benefiting us more than just sprucing up the curb appeal of our house?  I dug into the Where You Live archives and found that raking leaves for one hour can burn up to 250 calories.  In addition to the health benefits, I realized there were some other rewards I was reaping as well.  When I heard Sophia’s giggles come out from under the big leaf pile, I realized that this was precious time my husband and I were both spending with our daughter.  In the hustle and bustle of the work week, it’s a rare occasion that the three of us all have a couple hours to spend together just having fun.

At the end of the afternoon, the task that had started out “annoying” to me, turned into a lot more than just a neat row of yard waste bags at the curb.

Any chores or tasks you’ve dreaded doing that have turned out to be a blessing in disguise?