Making Room

Friday.

And we are all ready for a break.

The problem is that one is not exactly on the horizon.

David is sick again.

A different kind of sick this time.

Maybe it's everything we've been stirring up in the house.

Maybe it's the pollen.

Maybe it's the weather.

Whatever it is, he has been miserable.

And this morning, Jacob flat-out asked to go to the doctor.

Those are always encouraging words to hear from a child.

The room project, however, continues to move forward.

Wednesday night, Jacob and Asher's room was finished.

Painted.

Cleaned.

Ready.

My wife worked hard to get it done as quickly as possible.

And it looks so much better.

Yesterday was bed day.

Two loft beds.

Twin size.

Desks underneath.

Not quite as elaborate as Zoey's setup.

Still an all-day project.

The beds look fantastic.

And once again, I found myself impressed by my wife.

Which, I assure you, is a common occurrence.

I have always known her to be hardworking.

That part isn't new.

What continues to amaze me is her determination.

Once she decides something is going to get done, I have yet to find much that can stop her.

Today the boys move into their new room.

And we begin reclaiming parts of the house.

By my rough math, we're somewhere around sixty percent complete.

Over halfway.

Close enough to see the finish line.

Far enough away that there's still plenty of work to do.

Meanwhile, work remains work.

I have been spending a lot of time helping other leaders navigate challenges, policies, and processes while keeping an eye on my own responsibilities.

There are a few things coming that I know will require a trip to Richmond sooner rather than later.

Leadership has never been something you finish.

It is a constant draw on your patience.

Your knowledge.

Your creativity.

Your ability to help people solve problems.

And sometimes your ability to help them solve problems they didn't know they had.

The stream continues to move forward as well.

Two streams back in.

Countless hours spent chasing bugs.

Fixing issues.

Creating content.

Making improvements.

The glamorous side of streaming remains remarkably difficult to find.

But progress is progress.

And things are finally starting to feel the way I hoped they would.

Tonight should be family dinner out.

Assuming we survive moving day.

Tomorrow brings another trip to Richmond.

Readers keeping score at home will recognize this as our fifth consecutive Saturday making the drive.

The miles are long.

The memories are worth it.

Tomorrow is Zoey's violin recital.

Every year I think about five-year-old Zoey asking to learn how to play.

Not once.

Not twice.

At least once a week.

Persistent.

Determined.

Certain.

Now here we are.

Years later.

Recital day.

And I get to sit in the audience and watch the results of all that practice.

All that effort.

All that persistence.

Being a parent is strange sometimes.

You spend years helping build something.

Then one day you get to sit back and admire it.

Next week brings David's room.

A family vacation.

And a little time away from work.

Not away from school.

Not away from life.

Not away from homesteading.

But away from work.

Which feels like a pretty good start.

The older I get, the more I realize that much of parenting is simply making room. Making room for growing kids. Making room for new interests. Making room for mistakes, successes, illnesses, baseball games, violin recitals, and everything in between. Sometimes that looks like repainting bedrooms and assembling furniture. Sometimes it looks like driving hundreds of miles so your child can do something they love. Either way, the work is the same. You keep making room for the people you love to become who they are meant to be.

Much love. Stay safe. Wash your damn hands. I'll see you Monday.