The Ride of a Lifetime

It was a cool day for August, as the little girl and her father sat there side-by-side….buckled into the bobsled ever so snugly. She knew her daddy could save her from anything but still, fear and excitement was taking over her mind as her heart pounded in anticipation.  A crisp wind was swirling around them as the chill of excitement was almost too much to bear for the tracks that lay before them seemed to go straight up.  “What perils were they to encounter?” she wondered, as she knew the entrance to the Matterhorn awaited their arrival just around the bend.  In her small mind she wondered, “Would they even survive the ride?” The conductor, checking the safety latch on their sled offered no reassurance.   

Trying to concentrate on the sounds of the children's laughter and the calliope's music from the merry-go-round below, the smell of hot-buttered popcorn and hotdogs filled the air and at the age of 10, Roxann had found the Magic Kingdom a land of awe-inspiring twists and turns…but ultimately ever so enchanting.  Then with a sudden lurch, the reality of what lie ahead sent the adrenaline flowing. She was about to embark on the wildest, most thrilling ride of her life…or so she thought.  Little did she know that it was just one of many exciting, yet tumultuous rides that would make up her life’s story.

Where it all began
Roxann was raised in a loving and secure family in Houston, Texas and the week after turning 18, she followed in her parent's footsteps by marrying her high school sweetheart.  Together they forged a life as full as anyone could imagine.  They enjoyed so many shared interests, spending the first years of marriage traveling, collecting and entertaining.  Eventually they were blessed with 3 wonderful children, a son and then 2 daughters.  Those children were the loves of their lives.  John and Roxann had beaten the odds and were living the American dream…white picket fence and all.   And they not only shared their lives but their work as well, partnering in various business ventures.  But in the backs of their minds they knew that one day they would retire and become "kids again."  There would come a time when their children would be grown and married, raising families of their own and they sure didn’t want to rush it, quite the contrary….but they were prepared.

Defining moments in time
But life wasn’t always so rosy along the way. Amidst floods and fire and other perils of life, what shook them to their core was the diagnoses of an inoperable brain tumor.  Their precious son, at the age of 15, MVP on his high school’s football team and loved by all, Ryan lost his battle after a year and a half.  The experience took its toll on the entire family, but together they learned the importance of all things large and small.  They learned the hard way just how short and just how fragile life can be.  Deeply religious, they not only forged through the loss, but used their experience to help others faced with such adversity.  They accepted their ride through life with new purpose and enthusiasm.

As the years passed, their daughters married, were blessed with children, and Roxann once again found her entire identity wrapped around being John's wife.  They were enjoying their grandchildren, their partnership selling homes for a local builder and developer and Roxann had just gotten her Real Estate license.  The future looked exciting and joyful.  Then without warning, Roxann found herself in the midst of a nightmare.  John would go in for surgery and not make it home.  After a 35-year marriage, she was now a widow at the age of 52. Feeling alone and forced to face what seemed to be a life of fear and uncertainty, the future looked bleak.

Finding herself
That was in 2005 and Roxann was able to change her thinking and accept her experience as a time of rejuvenation and reinvention.  With hard work, perseverance and a positive attitude she has taken the steps needed to build her new identity, and has once again found new purpose in life.  She has built new relationships, taken on new interests, forged new paths and is enjoying a growing business as a successful Realtor®. 

And now today
It is with this same strength and determination that Roxann tackles the ever-changing real estate market, assisting others experiencing transition in their lives.  Whether her clients face a change in family status, the workplace or trying to cope with the move to a new town, Roxann fulfills this mission with passion exclaiming THIS to be the wildest,  most fulfilling ride of all.