“Are we there yet?”
A question that has been bellowed from the backseat of cars or with dragging feet.
I remember presenting my parents with this infamous query on trips both long and short, and later my kids doing the same to me. It’s a universally human cry, one that showcases our impatience for the journey.
I have been posing this question to myself as a year of living in a construction zone at Patina Meadow has come and gone.
To be honest, while I can envision the peaceful future we will have at our farm, at the moment it is not as picturesque, especially as the pristine blanket of snow that covered the property last week melts away to reveal reality, one that includes more plywood and mud than I would prefer.
I can’t tell you how many times I have dreamed of fast-forwarding a bit to when everything here is completed and my space can once again feel like a quaint haven. But, I’ve noticed that once I allow those thoughts to become the most prevalent in my mind, I get sucked into a spiral of despair that swallows me, and all the things I love about my life, whole.
I’ve realized that life lies in the in-between, in the moments between the first inspiration and the finished creation. If I wish to jump to the future, I miss out on the unexpected beauties that lie in between. While living in an active work zone, so many wonderful things have come to fruition in other aspects of my life that I would have rushed by on my way to the finish line if a more naive version of myself was given a remote to fast-forward to the future.
There are still days when I wallow, where I look out on buildings that feel will never be done and am flooded with a sense of impatience. But, in those moments I remind myself that all of this is life, no matter how slow or how fast it feels like it is passing by, it still is, and to wish it away is not something to aspire to. We are meant to feel it all, to bask in the glory of all the experiences because they are all life in the making
So I still ask the question, “Are we there yet?”, but I make sure I don’t forget to look out the window to admire the view as it swiftly passes by.
What is something in life you are trying to get more comfortable with? I would love to have a discussion with you all in the comments.
xx
Brooke
