A year ago we moved into a new house. It was not our dream home. In fact, it was downright quirky. It sat at an odd angle on the property, had a dated exterior, and the kitchen had an electric range. C'mon, a trained chef at least needs a gas stove, right? Oh, and there was no back yard.
But we were desperate to move, for various reasons, and needed to be in this neighborhood for the kids' schools. "It's temporary," Alex and I both agreed to each other.
After we moved in I found myself walking through the house thinking about all the things that needed to change about it in order for me to be happy. Our next house would definitely have a front porch, and for sure we needed a decent sized master bathroom, and yes, a much bigger kitchen. Only then could I really settle in. Only then would I truly feel at home, and content.
Then one day a strange thought occurred to me: "what if the house stayed exactly the same, and I could be perfectly happy with it?" No more waiting for the day to come along, constant frustration with what we have, and restlessness over what we were missing.
What I chose to see in that moment was everything I already had. My family, the comfort of having a home to come home to, our neighborhood and proximity to schools. It turns out there is a lot of natural light that comes in through the windows, and I have a spectacular office with a bay window that looks out onto the kids playing in the front yard. And guess what? The kids have never once mentioned not having a back yard. In fact they often call the small front patch of grass we have their "back yard" before eagerly running out to play in it.
Did you know there is no place in our future that is better than now? No place in our future better than here? That thought is always available to each and every one of us. Because if you can't appreciate what you have now what makes you think anything in the future can change that? All you have is right in front of you. So what will you choose to do with it?
~Molly