It Is Open
I can’t believe I finally get to write these words:
The shop is officially open!
This has been an excruciating process that lasted 16 months.
It wasn’t a choice I got to make, but it was a challenge I accepted and conquered.
For the most part, I did it myself.
I’m usually a "go, go, go until it’s done" kind of person. This time, the Universe had other plans. LOL.
At this stage of my life, a project this big simply wasn’t something I could power through in a weekend or even a few months. It had to happen one step, one room, one truckload at a time.
Over the last 16 months, I moved my daycare to the front of my house and relocated my entire shop into the back half. I cleaned out the back shed and added shelving for household storage, then cleaned out the front shed for shop inventory and supplies.
The entire overhaul resulted in about 12 truckloads of donations from the daycare, Mind Body Soul, and both sheds.
And let me tell you... some of those donations were hard.
Some of the daycare items held years of memories, and don't even get me started on the hundreds of "I'll get to that someday" projects that left the shed. That part hurt a little. LOL.
I still have no idea how I managed to fit an entire house into a few rooms and a couple of sheds, but somehow I did it.
Every nook and cranny is being used, everything has a home, and the shop looks amazing.
I can’t believe today is opening day.
Today starts a new chapter.
No more moving.
No more hauling.
No more sorting.
No more endless rearranging.
Now the building begins.
The fun part.
The creative part.
The shelves are a little bare right now, but that won’t last long. I already have a list of products to restock and enough ideas for new items—especially for the kids—to keep me busy for quite a while.
I know this has been a long journey, and yes, I complained about it more than once along the way. But today I can honestly say I am incredibly proud of what I accomplished.
I’m also deeply grateful.
When my uncle passed away and we had to leave our rental, I was fortunate to have a space that worked for us. I was blessed that my cousins gave me the time I needed to make this transition and never rushed me out so they could sell the property. I don't think they'll ever truly know what a gift that was.
Looking back, these last 16 months were a relatively short chapter in the grand scheme of life, but they hold so much meaning and so much context for where I am today.
Sometimes the chapters we would never choose for ourselves end up teaching us the most.
If you're in the middle of a season that feels overwhelming, keep going. Progress doesn't always look fast. Sometimes it looks like one box, one shelf, one decision, and one day at a time. Keep showing up anyway. One day you'll look around and realize you've built something you never thought possible.
And now...
I'm ready for this next chapter.
And I couldn't be more excited.
Journaling Prompts
What challenge in my life felt impossible at the beginning but revealed strengths I didn't know I had?
What am I finally ready to stop carrying so I can make room for what I'm building next?
If this next chapter goes even better than I imagine, what does my life look like one year from today?
If this sounds like the kind of work you’re ready to step into, you can join us in 365 Days of Me: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1271760971664323
