I just read Sean's post about the fire and it made me think of some of my own trials and the experiences that Jill and I have had over the past few years. It has been an unbelievable roller coaster of joy and pain. Similar to Sean, at times it feels as though Murphy's law has dialed me in and handed me beating after beating. (A la Investment scandals, townhome fires, lawsuits, real estate project fiascoes, etc.) I'm 28 and I've already risen and fallen twice in a big way. I'm in law school and I'm already tired of litigation because of my fun times in the private investment world and real estate industry.
The real poetry of my woes has been that despite all the stress and disappointment, we have had some of our happiest moments while going through the low times. We have found out things about ourselves that we never would have known without challenges. We have grown closer as a family and we have learned to appreciate simplicity in life. Realizing that one doesn't have to have wealth and "things" to be happy has been an incredible blessing, especially for me. I think Jill had that figured out long before me. I'm very lucky that she has been patient enough to let me figure it out.
My new thought process: Life is as good as you want it to be. Perspective makes all the difference. As Sean mentioned, there are people suffering real challenges in the world and I wouldn't trade with anyone. My only hope is that I can learn everything I'm supposed to learn from these trials and come out a better person. I suppose as long as we're composed and handle things correctly, we can have peace by knowing that we're emerging stonger and more capable than ever. I hope this didn't come across as overly preachy or "poor me" in tone. Sean's post just struck a chord and I felt like putting some of my thoughts down on paper...errr blog paper.
On a different note, law school is. . .good. The best way I can describe it is a mental marathon. The material isn't that hard, it's just an issue of keeping tuned into all the minute details. I'm not sure exactly where this road is going to take me. I'm not fully convinced that practicing law is what I want to do. I still find that I have a love for "the deal" and I'm hoping that I can use my law degree together with my finance/real estate background to get into something that really charges me. (Ok, ok and something that makes sick dough). I'm terrified of being on someone else's clock and having to report to someone. I signed up for a mock interview program last week and I had my first job interview of my life. I wanted to get a few under the belt before I have a real one.
Whitney, I wanted to make sure you know that when I read your post I immediately started thinking of ideas for your condo and how I would go about doing it. Everyone thinks of Jill as the creative one but if you've ever seen me go to work on picking out paint, tile, countertops, fixtures etc., you would know that I love to do that stuff. When I say "do" I don't mean actually perform labor but I enjoy designing rooms and getting the Julios/Juans (see earlier post for discussion) to install and perform labor. Handy is something I am not. I would be glad to come consult the next time I'm over there.
Also, I appreciate every one's patience with me as I slowly emerge from my pompous shell and get used to kids, soccer games, family history, kids and Whitney's tattoos (j/k). I know that I've been self centered at times but I am determined to keep growing closer to the family. I have learned to love each of you and I know you guys are there for us whenever we need you. I hope you all know that you can count on Jill and I for anything as well.
Finally, at this moment we are all facing different challenges in life. As Sean said, things can change for the better way quicker than you can imagine. In the meantime, focus on simple happiness, keep pushing, and enjoy the journey. I'm pretty sure that's what this crazy life is all about anyway.
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