Rhythm of Life

Just a little over a year ago, I recall writing a piece about how home is what you make it. Home is the people you surround yourself with. Home is the space you create with the things you love. Home is a mindset.

A year ago, we were on a big journey to Tampa. New job, new opportunities, new start. Tampa wasn’t anything like we thought it would be. The job wasn’t right. Our family needed a change. I remember talking to Jeff one night, worried what people might think if we moved again instead of being worried about the well-being of my family.

You see, I thought life was supposed to have this sort of rhythm to it. College, degrees, jobs, one home purchase, have all your kids in that home, live your life. I’ve come to realize that’s a very outdated way of thinking. Jobs are different. The cost of living is different. And, honestly, you have a lot of growing to do. A lot of learning. A lot of mistakes to make.

One of the most important things I’ve learned is the rhythm of your life is set by you. And sometimes that rhythm is off-beat. When it is, how do you handle it? Do you push forward to find a new one? Get back on track with the old one? Trying to mimic someone else’s rhythm will always fail. Comparison is the thief of joy.

So what kind of rhythm do you want for your life? It took me awhile to really figure it out, but I think I finally have. Once I stopped listening to the sounds of others, I was able to find my own sound. My own wishes. My own desires. My own happiness. I also had to come to peace with the fact that life is ever-changing. We must be flexible. We must be content knowing that sometimes our rhythm has to change.

I can take a breath, now. Fresh Northern Kentucky air. Kentucky was never even a blip on my radar. Isn’t it funny how life works sometimes? I’d be lying if I said I thought it was actually funny. It’s been quite stressful. These last 4 years have been the most trying times we’ve had in our time together. Despite it all, not one time did we give up. We pushed through the uncomfortableness of it all and I can say, without a doubt, that we are exactly where we’re meant to be.

Remember how I said home had a feeling? This is it.