A New Beginning Brings an End

When I told my sister I had been reading some design blogs and was thinking about starting an at-home furniture business, she was more than surprised. She said she couldn't even see me reading blogs, let alone writing one. I guess I never gave off the vibe of being a great homemaker and computer whiz. Weird. If you had asked me 3 years ago, I would have had much different plans for myself. For the past 7 years, I thought my mission in life was to medically save every animal that I came in contact with. I spent all my time working at a vet hospital, or going to school to learn more and move up in the working world. If you had asked me if I was ever going to stop working while I had children, my firm answer would have been "No".

I went through some painful growing over the past few years. I finally couldn't take dropping my screaming newborn at my sister's house almost every morning to be watched while I went to school and work. I was frantically trying to juggle finishing school before moving out of state for my husband to start his doctorate elsewhere. I ended up not finishing, but what I learned from this juggling act was far greater than any school lesson I paid thousands for. I learned that I didn't have to save every animal myself. I learned to define myself not by my past career. I learned to slow down and enjoy one day at a time. I realized that in the long run my sweet daughter didn't care if I was a genius, she didn't care about how much school I finished, and I wasn't born to be anything better than her mom. My daughter will only remember the time I did or didn't spend with her, she would remember how I treated others, and she would remember if I was happy, stressed, or worn out. The best thing I could be was exactly what I thought I never wanted. I love being a mom, nothing is more important.

This past year I have spent a lot of time studying furniture books, history, blogs, and magazines. It is something I enjoy. This is a great new start for me, I am so blessed. I am able to work at home and be there for my daughter when she needs me. I am able to bring beauty into our home to make it "our" place and to provide my family with the comforts and joy that a loving home should have. This is the beginning of a new phase in my life that I now can happily embrace... There is always time for more school later, right?