By now you’ve seen the finished product of our long basement remodel, but I wanted to record the many steps we took along the way. It’s fun to look back on these photos and remember how often I felt like it would never be done. I also remember in our early-married years wishing for a finished basement, and today, we have just that! It’s funny how we can spend so much time pining for what we don’t have, only to sometimes take it for granted when we do. Writing this post is a reminder to stop and savor what we’ve accomplished. Ready for some very scary basement pics?
The best antidote for anxiety I’ve found (besides medicine and sleep and exercise and skipping caffeine and going to therapy and all of that jazz) is presence. And what better way to be in the moment than to call out the things that make us happy right now. Gratitude helps me consider exactly where I am at today, not in some far away made-up life or one spent regretting past actions. Here’s what I’m grateful for today…
This weekend I graduated from Illinois State University with a Master’s in Business Administration and a Certificate in Organizational Leadership. I completed eight prerequisites and 12 degree-seeking courses in three and a half years, all while working full-time, continuing to volunteer in my community, and being a wife, mother, and friend. Here’s what I learned.
I started writing about love last summer. I sat in the cold basement of the Door County farmhouse owned by Mike’s aunt and uncle, perched with my laptop on a wobbly wooden stool next to a fridge covered in old photos and the year’s calendar. The washing machine hummed along and my kids were unaware of my exact location. It was the perfect setting for a little navel gazing.
I did not set out to be a co-sleeper or many of the things I’ve now become, for that matter. Before having kids I made such bold statements as, “My kids will never sleep in my bed!” And most horrifying in its naiveté, “I will never hand my kids a screen to shut them up.” It’s a miracle onlookers, some of them seasoned mothers, did not slap me silly. The audacity of my claims is mortifying in retrospect.
Tonight I attended my online MBA class with Margaret nearby. We begin at the table, listening while decorating birthday cards. “Nana’s turning 60 and Aunt Libby’s turning 1859!” Later we listen from the bathroom (on mute and without video) while Margaret takes a bath. I look around at the bath toys, the floor wet from her splashing, the discarded clothing next to my computer and notebook. Instead of feeling like the hard-working career mom I often aspire to be, it suddenly feels like too much.
Last week I was back at work after two weeks off. I’m fortunate to have time off over the holidays and the return was a fairly smooth one. What I was not as prepared for was the busy pace our life assumes when everyone is going full-throttle towards school, daycare, work, and extra-curricular activities.
It’s a new year, a new decade. We celebrated with the same friends we rang in the new year with in 2019. Our kids stayed awake too late and have been little bears since, but all in all it was a fun time. This last decade has been busy: a marriage, two babies, buying a house, job changes, and more.
Self-improvement is always on my mind. It’s echoed in the blogs I read, the social media I consume, and the conversations I have. And while self-improvement is a worthwhile goal, I think an equally important pursuit is to approach life with a spirit of contentment.
I recently applied for a new job in my division and during one segment of the nearly five-hour interview, someone asked me: “What motivates you to be successful in a job?”