4 years ago we were in a rough spot. We were sitting in the purgatory of having listed our house and made the decision to move on to a new life. But our house wasn’t sold, we didn’t know where we would go, or when. We had 1 week of school left with the kids, and as we were “wrapping up” we didn’t know if we should say goodbye for ever, or see you in September.
We were anxious. We had made this big decision, but were now waiting for the universe to guide us. It was anti climactic, and we were quickly running out of steam.
This was the start of the journey though. I know now that just a few days after this moment 4 years ago things started to change. We made a decision to book a trip to Salt Spring Island (our first real visit of the island we had chosen to move to) and we got an offer on our house.
We came and explored, and found a rental home for our family. We arrived home and our house was officially sold. A day later we won a trip to St. Lucia for our family.
As I sit in my home now, on a property I love, seeing the vision I had of my life all around me, I am able to close my eyes and see the journey we went on to arrive here.
I see all the stress and the joy. I see the fear, the worry and the successes and beautiful moments. I see how every step along the path was there to lead us to where we are now.
Yesterday we sat in our meadow in the sunshine. A meadow that just last year was a field of sand after having our septic field topped off. We sat with the long grass and wildflowers around us. Kids in their underwear. Cold homemade cider.
We sat surrounded by a mamma hen and her baby chicks. We sat and had our flock of hens free ranging around us, and our goats grazing through the salal. We sat and had a baby goat climb onto our laps.
We sat there and saw our dream, as we envisioned it 4 years ago. A dream that wasn’t easy to achieve. A dream that, often times, we lost sight of. A dream that eventually, through hard work and many courageous choices, found us.
And we let the sun soak us, and the grasses blow in the wind, as the kids raced the goat and we sank back and appreciated how far we have come.
4 years. A lifetime of change really, for something that really didn’t take that long. Just 4 years.
I don’t really look ahead anymore like I used to. My dream has been achieved so far, and for now I am content living in it. I longer dream of big changes, or worry about the future. My main goal is to enjoy the present that we are living, the gift we have been given.
4 years back, and a see a totally different person than I am today. 4 years forward, I hope that I still have this peace and soul satisfaction that I have today. I hope my changes are smaller, I don’t need change right now.
So, to you, I give 4 years of courage and change to go after your dreams. 4 years to build the life you desire. 4 years of hard work, and decisions, risks and successes, so you can sit there in the future and look back on today, when nothing had been started yet and the world was filled with potential.
Take the 4 years… I am happy where I am.