Letting Go of Good Things

In recent posts I’ve shared about simplifying my tech use to be more present to family life. Pruning applies to home and work decisions too, and in doing so, we create space for what’s next (and needed!) to take root. This is my story of closing a chapter of my life and gratefully opening my hands to the next one. As always, my writing is 100% AI free from start to finish. Thank you for being here!

I’ve been quite proud of my ability to manage home life as an online business owner over the last 7.5 years. It felt like a monumental accomplishment to not only start my business when I had 3 little kids under the age of 7, but to eventually grow it into our family’s primary income as we traveled full-time around the United States for several years.

Still, as a second generation entrepreneur who was weaned on hard work and putting in the time even when nobody is looking, I’ve always been cognizant of my tendency to overwork — even if I haven’t always done anything to stop it. When you are the one paying all the bills, it feels especially prudent to take actions that produce the money that keeps family life moving along.

But as I’ve shared in this post, I hit a wall this past fall, about 6 months after my 4th was born. My body was apparently fed up with my hustling tendencies and requesting a reprieve. Or in other words, God threw a time-out in the form of an emergency room visit.

It’s one thing to simplify your tech life or declutter your home….and it’s another thing to shift the order of your home life and the fundamental way that you work.

Ultimately, I made the decision to put my hands over the faucet of my business, twist a kink into the hose line, and only allow a trickle to come forth. I began turning away business, shutting down offers, and essentially hanging a “closed for business” sign.

I’m not sad.

I thought I would be; after all, this is my business baby! But the truth is that a business baby will always pale in comparison to a real baby. To the joys of being a new mother again, to crafting the foundation of a faith-led and values rich home without the mental and time competition of a business.

The timing has been fortuitous as well; the day before my due date, my husband was offered a dream job, one that took him 3 whole years of interviewing and networking to land. And with that, the pressure on me to keep providing for our family completely went away.

For years my husband had my back, encouraging me, supporting my biggest dreams, and holding family life together as I grew my business. Now? I get to gratefully do the same for him. His new job means long days, travel, and unexpected changes in plans.

Somebody has to be the steady at home, for the kids, and that somebody is me.

Without the need to funnel so much energy into my business anymore, I can now focus more intentionally on:

My children: their education, their faith formation, and nurturing their gifts and talents while just being actually present to them in the in-between moments of each day

My home: rhythms and rituals that reflect our values and faith, systems to uphold the fullness of our lives, and homemaking to create our unique family culture

My marriage: truly showing up for and loving my husband of 18 years, supporting him in his really big goals and dreams. On a practical level, making sure the home is well run so he has what he needs to succeed

My real life community: bringing people together, being involved in my church, checking in on women and families in my community and being there for them, helping be a tangible effort toward helping others feel less lonely

My health: nurturing myself by eating well and enough, walking daily, stretching and movement, and getting enough rest

The more I pull back from my business, the more I can see the neglected areas of my life and home. Like a dusty corner, I’m sweeping out the cobwebs, washing the walls, and applying a fresh coat of paint. It’s been so satisfying to examine our daily rhythms and routines and breathe new life into them. I’m really slowing down with the kids, playing more, laughing more, and feeling true patience settle into my bones.

This is what I was made for.

I share all of this in case you may be in a season of slowing down, refining, and leaning into what matters most to you and your family.

I’m so grateful for my business, for the dream life it provided for my family, and the opportunities it gave us. I’m grateful for the hundreds of women I was able to serve during that time. And who knows? At some point in the future I may have a business again, once the kids are older.

I’ll still be doing some consulting on the side, but very infrequently and only when it fits in the schedule.

For now, I’m gently embracing the art of home and being the mom I’m called to be for my family. Sometimes you have to let go of a good thing to make room for something even better.

And what a gift that is.

Have you made any important decisions lately for your family? What’s been on your heart when you think about letting go of something “good?” I’d love to hear.