Just Keep Showing Up
Consistency will always be the number one thing I preach when it comes to dream achievement. The most significant factor to our success is going to be showing up. Most of the time, this means showing up well, but it also means showing up when the best we have to give isn’t very much.
I am exhausted. It has been a draining couple of days. We spent 6 hours with packers yesterday and 9 hours with movers today (who knew it would take longer for five guys to load up a van than for three ladies to pack up our house). Even though I was standing around for most of it, watching pieces of my life walk out the door was still draining. Yesterday was my birthday, which I would not recommend as the most fun way to spend it, but my husband has something secret planned for Friday that I am looking forward to.
During this time, we’ve also battled an email chain about when closing on our new house would be. It seemed like far too many people were involved, and everyone had conflicting information. A lot of hassle could have definitely been saved if the “reply all” button had not been invented. On top of that, the people with the correct information were slow to respond, leading to even more stress. It seems like everything is sorted now, and I just wired the money for closing costs, so hopefully, we are full speed ahead to sign in the morning.
Fun fact: for those buying houses out of state, we can do a mail-away closing before we get there. It does cost $200 per person, at least in the state of Georgia, but that was still cheaper for us than flying in for closing. Plus, they are just sending a notary to meet us at our house to sign, which has made it very convenient. We did have to wire the money for closing, although that may differ depending on the closing attorney you work with. It was very stressful to wire the money since I had to clarify repeatedly that this was not a scam and that I knew where my money was going. Hopefully, I do, and I didn’t just throw away half our savings.
Anyway, now I am standing in a completely empty house that echoes far too much for my liking. My husband is setting up the air mattress and pack n play for the night. I am utterly and completely drained. I just want to lie down and think about absolutely nothing for a little bit. And I will get to it in a few hours, but for now, I have writing to do.
This probably won’t be the best thing I’ve ever written. At this point, it’s mostly me rambling about the stress I feel in my shoulders. But I can say that I still showed up for my dream. It may not be the best day of my dream. It certainly isn’t the best effort I’ve ever given. But I made a promise, and I am following through.
So much of what we look for in life is a combination of quality and quantity. But often, no matter how good the quality is, it doesn’t matter if there isn’t enough quantity. Everyone has their own metrics for this, and we all have different definitions of what “enough” is in each area of our lives. We all know it means a lot when people show up for us, though.
Kids love having parents at baseball games and orchestra performances. Adults love having people for game nights and birthdays. One of my favorite memories was when I got sick during exams, and a girl I had only recently met drove an hour to drop off a care package for me. She’s now one of my best friends, but that’s really where our relationship began. Our dreams are the same way. Sure, they want our best, but they fully accept the days when our best doesn’t look all that great. Our dreams appreciate that we showed up even when it was hard. They love it when we make it work for them simply because they matter to us.
I could write it off today. I could justify not writing because of everything that has gone on the past few days. I’ve done it before, and I probably will do it again. But today, I prevailed. I overcame my excuses and exhaustion. Today, I showed up for my dream. Today, I made it work as a military spouse, mom, and dreamer. It was hard, but I did it.
Whenever I think about skipping out, I always hear my husband say, “But it’s your dream.” He said that once, quite some time ago, but I hear it in my head every time I think of skipping out. I am setting the example today of what it looks like to chase a dream even when life is hard. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it usually won’t be, but today, I can say I showed up, and for that, I am proud of myself. I hope my dream is proud of me, too.