The Life I Said Yes To
The moment a vision becomes real - and asks more of you
#47
It’s now the middle of the night, and after only a few hours of sleep, I am wide awake and thinking. Not an unusual habit for me, although I have been sleeping quite well recently, so this feels more like a rare occurrence than the usual this time around.
An offer was made and accepted on a new construction 55 and over community home in a city right near Dallas! Construction should begin next month with completion before the end of the year.
It is scary, exciting, and it stretched me in ways I could feel right away. It took me a few days to really integrate this dream and the reality of it becoming real. This isn’t the first time I’ve bought a home on my own. I did that after my divorce while my kids were still young, but that was still in the same town I had been in for years.
This time it’s much different. A brand new city in a community that both Tim and I resonated with and a feeling that this was the next right step.
When Spirit moves you, you follow.
I am most excited that I get to pick out all the finishes for the home including flooring, countertops, lighting, and the exterior brick color. Even though I have final say, I want Tim to have input as well since he will be sharing this space with me, and I want it to feel like home for him too.
It’s an interesting situation we find ourselves in, being committed partners and also maintaining full autonomy over our own individual properties. Not something I ever thought I would choose, as I am more of a traditionalist, and yet it works for us.
I grew up in a household where my father worked and my mother stayed home raising four kids. I got married right out of college and always had a partner contributing financially. It’s only been in more recent years that I have fully supported myself. That has not always been easy or comfortable.
There have been moments where I would have preferred to have someone else sharing that responsibility, but this experience has required me to take full ownership of my life. No excuses. No waiting for someone else to come in and support me. That changes you.
There is a very real financial edge right now. I will need to continue growing my income month over month in order to qualify for the loan, and the construction timeline gives me the space to do that. And I will. In many ways, I already have.
And it’s all because my North star has been to have more firmly planted roots with a home to call my own again, for a place my kids can come and spend time, for dear friends to visit, and for new friends to be cultivated. For new scenery and experiences, new weather and food and culture and music. Tim and I did that a weekend ago when we went to the Fort Worth Stockyards and spent the day exploring, hearing some live music, and seeing this small section of a former cattle town turn itself into an historic gem.
Growing up here in the 1970s, Fort Worth was a bit of a drive and there wasn’t much there for a family of six to do. It felt rugged and not very developed. But I do remember the occasional trip to a small grocery store that carried imported Italian ingredients that my mother would buy so she could make traditional recipes.
There were no grocery stores back then that carried ricotta and mozzarella cheese, imported olives, anchovies, and sauces the way we see them everywhere today. So every couple of months, my parents would make the trip to stock up. My mom would fill the freezer and then cook homemade lasagna and pasta dishes for all of us. Combined with the fresh vegetables from the large garden my Dad worked in our backyard, it was a childhood spent eating very well. Those core memories have stayed with me through all my years.
Food is a language I love. Preparing it, sharing it, enjoying it. I truly believe the enjoyment I receive from it is part of what keeps me healthy and strong. I will always spend a little more on high-quality, whole foods because I can feel the difference. I felt that so clearly while traveling in Europe where the food supply is much cleaner and more connected to the land. It takes a bit more effort here, but it is always worth it for me.
And with any conscious leap we choose to take, life finds ways to support us. I was asked to work additional events recently which will bring in extra income. There were longer hours and more effort involved, but it feels aligned with where I am right now and was very grateful for the opportunity.
And life continues to unfold in beautiful ways.
This week I am heading to Washington for my oldest son’s college graduation. He has worked incredibly hard to reach this milestone, including transferring schools midway through his college experience and starting over in a new state. He is now interviewing for his first big job as he moves into this next phase of life. Proud mom moment for sure.
Life doesn’t look the way it used to. The long, steady paths, the predictable rhythms, the years spent in one place are no longer the only way. There is more freedom now, more possibility, and also more responsibility because we get to choose. We get to release what no longer fits, and create something that feels more aligned with who we are now. That can feel uncomfortable at times. It asks us to trust ourselves in new ways. But it also opens the door to a life that feels more like our own.
Here’s to your next step in the coming weeks, whether it is something close to home or something that calls you somewhere new. Life moves quickly. Don’t wait too long to answer the call of what you would love.
To your highest and best,
Dianna
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