The sun is setting. You feel a gentle summer breeze. The water is dancing under the pier near the docked fishing boats. You hear birds all around you talking to each other.

This wonderful place is none other than Orange Beach, Alabama. Late July, I was lucky enough to go there to visit with family, and to see amazing sights. This picture can hardly show you how great this place was. The beautiful beaches and bays that I have seen in my life cannot compare to this humble town. There was just something about it that gave the waters there a special charm. This is absolutely one of my favorite places. Who doesn't like to wake up to the sounds of the ocean and take a leisurely walk on the pier in the late afternoon?

Take a minute to look at the photograph: sparkling waters, a long, rustic pier, rows of fishing boats – a lovely little place all highlighted by the light of the dimming sun. Again, this picture is only a small window into this happy place. But I have learned, no matter how wonderful it was, in the end, it is not where you were, but who you were with. The people in your life make everything beautiful, not the places themselves. This picture would not be as near to my heart if I did not also carry with me the smiles and special moments that I shared with my family when I was there. Think about it.