Life in the Village These Days

This month we are celebrating four years in this house and almost 5 years since we moved to the Village. This town and this home. In many ways it feels like we've always been here. We've already made so many memories here. I'm sitting on the porch while I write this, trusty dog at my feet. The birds are singing at the top of their lungs. I hear children playing and there is a storm blowing in. It is my idea of heaven on earth. Life isn't perfect here. Things go wrong, there are disappointments. At the same time, life's challenges are a little easier to take when you get to spend every day living your dream.

There have been many celebrations, much laughter and many tears in this home. You know, the things life is made of. There is no place I would rather be than in this old house with it's never ending to do lists, projects and expenses.

When I sit back and reflect on everything we have accomplished, I am so proud of us. We have more gumption than skill, budget or sense and have a tendency to dive into projects that we should know better than to attempt. You should have heard a recent conversation we had about taking on a bathroom renovation. Oy. We will never learn. And thank goodness! If we did, we wouldn't have this porch or this kitchen, let alone this life and this home. Sometimes you need to ignore the voices whether they come from inside yourself or from people around you.

Ignoring the voices and jumping in has served us well over the last 15 years and making the scary decision to ditch our comfortable suburban life and change everything turned out to be one of the best things we've ever done! I often think about how life would be different if we had played it safe. I am so grateful for a husband that listens to my heart and who is usually on the same page as I am.

The Village comes alive in the spring. The magnolias are starting to bloom and that signals the start of a glorious show. Soon we will be having picnics in this park with friends while music is performed in this gazebo. Soon there will be festivals in the street. Living here feels a lot like being on vacation which is such a treat for a girl like me who grew up never going on vacation! Last night we went to dinner on Main St. with some friends for a wine and appetizer pairing and then dinner. It was a perfect evening. I rarely want to leave the Village to go out. I love that we know the owners of most of the businesses in town. I love that we know most of our neighbors. I love that we live in a place where we can walk to the library, parks, farmers market, butcher, ice cream parlor, wine store, dentist, shops and restaurants.

I'm thankful every day that we didn't let fear keep us from living our dream. Now I remind myself of the beauty that can happen when you push through the fear. What is fear keeping you from doing? What is the worst thing that could happen if you ignored the voices? It's not failure. Failure means you tried. I'd much rather live with failure than regret. When you risk failure you might end up living the very life you have been dreaming about.