by Andi B.

With (supposedly) one week until closing on our house, I was standing at the top of the hill waiting for my dog to relieve himself and reflecting on my life. My father passed away eight days after I turned 18. I was lucky enough to have a father that I could respect. He was firm, followed through on his word, and made sure I knew he was proud of me before he died.

For a long time I’ve wondered if he’d be still be proud of me. I know my life hasn’t turned out the way I expected, let alone the way he may have hoped. For some reason as I stood at that hill and my dog refused to go to the bathroom I realized he still would be. My life is simple, I love my husband and my stubborn dog, but more than that, I’m happy. I know how truly blessed I am.

I don’t measure my life in dollar signs or the number of zeros in my bank account. I measure it in fresh-baked bread and half-baked ideas. I know that he’d appreciate my entrepreneurship with MealPlanRescue.com, my willingness to put myself out there on this blog. I invest myself in my family. I kick arse and take names. I am my father’s daughter.

Keeping your life simple is never an easy task. There’s always more things to buy, a new gadget, something’s wearing out. Prioritizing makes it easier. Being able to cook dinner for my family is a priority. I could work more hours to pay for a nicer place, but I couldn’t necessarily still care for my family the same way. It’s amazing how defining what you care about can make all the other static melt away.

One of my favorite personal exercises is:

  1. Write down the three things you want out of life.
  2. Write down what you need to have those three things.
  3. Write down what interferes with what you want.

What is your moment of reflection?

Andi B.

Andi B.