Every day on facebook I post three things I’m thankful for. Usually it’s just small things that happened that day that make me smile. Today I made a departure from my normal format and I wanted to share it here. I’m so very thankful for the good things in my life and I think it’s important to say that loud and often.
Here’s the post:
Today I’m thankful for:
Okay, I’m only doing one thankful today, but it’s going to be a long one. Stay with me.
When Tara and I decided to buy a business and for me to leave work, we had some specific thoughts about how that would go. I can say with certainty that absolutely nothing has gone as planned.
There have been some definite negative points, for example, Tara has been having some health issues that appear to be linked to the food cart. And I don’t remember EVER being this broke. lol.
But the good far outweighs the bad. We remember the value of money. We took it for granted for so long and we were very, very careless with it. There is a lot of value in having to think about where something is coming from and what you have to do to get it and what you have to give up in order to get it. And I’m really thankful that we get to teach that to our children. For the first time, I feel like we are really teaching Wyatt and Lily what money is and how to save it and what it means to have to wait to get something you really want.
I’m writing. It wasn’t that long ago that I thought I’d never write again. My creativity just drained out of me when my mom was sick and it didn’t return until I left work. Nothing against my employer, it just wasn’t giving me what I really needed. I got a paycheck, but very little in terms of fulfillment.
Wyatt is a completely different kid. We examined where we were with him, and what changes needed to be made to help him grow. Because I’m home most days, I am able to spend my time teaching him. That wouldn’t have happened if I were still working out of the house. And instead of an angry little boy who lashes out at everything, we now have a sweet, kind little boy who still likes fart jokes, but isn’t looking to hurt everyone around him.
The last thing I want to talk about is a positive change that I NEVER would have foreseen coming from this move (not that I saw any of it really, but this one was the farthest from my radar). Michelle, our oldest daughter, is demonstrating every day that she is growing up. She is thinking about her life and how she impacts those around her. Instead of expecting someone to give her something for free, and being mad when they don’t, she is being responsible with her own finances and making good decisions with her money. This is something that I was worried we would never see. She has come to the rescue more than once with Ding Dong Daddios. She’s been working because we’re her family and she wants to help us succeed. She’s looking at life in a new way, searching out ways that she can help rather than be helped. Instead of trying to get what she can out of us financially, she sees the struggle and is stepping in to help where she can. And most importantly, she is starting to take accountability for her decisions. She’s moving beyond blaming others and being angry about what other people have that she doesn’t, to trying to build something better for herself. I’m proud of her.
Hell, I’m proud of my whole family. They make my life worth living and I’m just so dang happy to be a part of it.
That’s it, folks. Tomorrow will be less sappy. I promise.