Happy Thanksgiving week!
Wow, it feels surreal that we are even at this point in the year! Mentally, I still feel like I’m living in September, but I’m so happy that the holidays are upon us. I hope that you are gearing up for a cozy weekend with family and friends, delicious food, and fun. That is the plan at our house! The turkey is prepped and we are ready for the festivities to begin.
I know that this is an interior design business and I should probably be giving you tips on “the perfect holiday place setting”, but this business is about so much more than design for me. It is about seeing people–how they live and how they function as a family. It is meeting them where they’re at and seeing how I can lovingly and creatively impact their lives & their home.
There is so much to be grateful for. For our family, 2024 has been a year marked with many ups and downs. At the start of the year, we celebrated a growing business, a work promotion and two beautiful, healthy girls. We felt we could breathe deep. This is going to be our year! But in late March, my husband Connor woke up one morning with loss of feeling in his left arm. What started off as a typical Friday turned into months of medical tests, questions and new emotions. Connor was quickly taken to the ER and we discovered that he had suffered a stroke. We are so grateful that his symptoms were minimal and recovery was smooth. But for the months following that ER visit, we were left with questions. During this period of questioning, we wrestled with feelings and thoughts that we never anticipated having at this phase of life. Every joyful family moment had a veil of “will this be our last?” clouding over it. 2024 may not be our year.
Jump forward to August of this year, and I am thrilled to announce that Connor had a successful heart procedure that will help in preventing all future strokes. It was only after his first follow-up appointment that we finally breathed deep again and allowed ourselves to relax.
As I sit here reflecting on 2024, I am filled with gratitude. Despite the weight of difficulty this year has brought, I have seen how much growth has taken place in my life and in my family. Growth and success are not measured by your bank account or level of influence. This is hard for me to admit to myself, being an enneagram 3. They are not measured by the number of goals met or your life’s level of “ease”. It is measured by your character when life hands you challenges. It is measured by your ability to see beyond yourself and your own circumstances and continue to show up with love and grace (for yourself and others). It is found in choosing to see the bigger picture.
Thank you to every client who trusted me with your project this year. I am excited for the year ahead!
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Joseph Photography