The Magnolia Story

by Chip Gaines

One pretty amazing thing we learned early on was that the more time we spent together, the better our relationship was. I think a lot of couples feel the need to get away from each other now and then, to take little breaks, and they come back after a girls’ weekend or a guys’ fishing trip or something all refreshed and happy to reconnect because they missed each other. We were just the opposite, and still are. We seem to give each other energy. We function better together than we do apart, and I don’t think either one of us has ever felt the urge to say, “I need a break from you.” Don’t get me wrong; we’ve certainly had our share of disappointment and arguments, but we just always wanted to tackle our issues together.

I came to think of God as more of a gracious friend who was accompanying me on this journey, a friend who wanted to carry my burdens and speak into my life and shape me into who I really was and who I would become.

Well, six months later, neither one of us had the slightest urge to get a TV. We never even found time to miss it. All our various projects kept us busy during the day. And our evenings were pretty filled up with making dinner and finishing up the day’s business, talking and dreaming together, and making plans for the next day or the next week. We couldn’t imagine setting aside even an hour to sit and watch TV.

Sometimes worrying about something is much worse than the actual thing you’re worrying about. So really, what’s the point in worrying?

Once we settled into the Castle Heights house, I think we both started to settle into a groove. The business was rocking and rolling, and so we started to think, We’ve made it. We’re here. Let’s just put everything on autopilot. But here’s something I’ve noticed. Whenever you do that, whenever you’re all settled in and think that’s it—that’s when the big blow comes that knocks you back down to square one.