Last week was our family’s annual trek to the mountains: my parents, three sisters, one of their boyfriends, one of their husbands and 8 kids (4 of which are mine). We stay at this huge cabin with plenty of room for everyone, and there’s a small lake to swim in.
We stay up late playing games, Maile and I take turns sleeping in, and naps are the order of the day. And swimming. And eating. And more naps. But this year something felt different.
After a few days I realized what it was: my phone wasn’t ringing off the hook. Last year at the mountains I was still a painting contractor, still taking phone calls from customers and foremen and our advertising agency. Every morning I would wake up with a churning stomach, nervous that something would go wrong while I was away.
This year my phone didn’t ring once. That was the difference.
Last year I was running a business I didn’t care for, going deeper and deeper into debt, wondering how we would ever change directions.
This year I am writing, doing what I love, and we’re slowly digging out. We live in the country, have a garden and have time to eat dinner together almost every night.
Finding yourself in a rough patch? Hang in there – the next year will go quicker than you could possibly imagine, and who knows where you’ll be or what you’ll be doing. A lot can happen in a year.
For a similar post, check out “What Can Change In a Year” by Kristen over at The House Studio
I hear ya. A year ago, I was in a job I hated, but the occasional writing and editing I was doing (for church and others) made me realize there was something else out there. So last November, I jumped ship and have been working on establishing my own writing/editing service. It’s been a wild ride but I am loving the chance to follow some dreams.