Two Years

The past week provided a lot of great pick-on-Bekah fodder, so we did just that during this week's Spill the Beans. It's okay to laugh at my expense.

Listen here

In other news, yesterday marked two years since I drove away from WBCL for the last time (as an employee, I mean) and I did a little reflecting on what these two years have meant to us. (I wrote a similar post last year, and you can read it here.)

Ryan gave me this piece of wall art on my last day, and it has been a joy to see what it means for us as each day takes us farther from that pivotal, life-altering moment. 

1. We love the calm.

We talk often about the incredible calm that has settled over Shafferland since I stopped working outside the home. We honestly had no idea what to expect when I left the work force. We were both scared to death we wouldn't be able to make ends meet; I can tell you that. And we aren't rich by a long shot. We can't save nearly as much as we could if I did work full time, but we are able to live comfortably, and the stress of trying to manage a household while two people work a lot of hours every week has evaporated entirely. Ryan told me just recently that he thought he would like having me home, but he had no idea he would deeply love it like he does. It may not be the right choice for everyone, and we understand that. But for us, it has been quite freeing, and we do love the calm.

2.  We love being close.

Something we've been able to enjoy for a full year now is being close to Ryan's work. It is wonderful to have him close enough to visit whenever I want. It's wonderful to have two extra hours with him every day. It's wonderful to sleep in a little bit in the morning, because he doesn't have to leave so early to commute. If I'd stayed at the station, this move we made a little over a year ago never could have happened, and this closeness would be just a dream. 

3. We love new opportunities. 

In the past year, I've had the chance to speak several times in several places. I've made new friendships, I've rekindled old friendships, and Ryan says I've grown as a speaker. I know I wouldn't have been able to invest in as many speaking opportunities if I still worked full time. I have also had the chance to do more writing and even a little teaching, and that's been wonderful, too. Exploring new dreams is such fun, and I try to run toward as many as I can!

4. We love being able to tackle the unexpected together.

Of course neither of us expected Ryan's gallcation that came about earlier this year, but I mentioned multiple times throughout that process how grateful I was to be home with him during his recovery. I was free to rearrange my own work to be there for his surgery, to take care of him and cook for him while he was sick and then recovering, and to be able to go to his doctor appointments with him. I remember how much I missed him when I recovered from mine two years ago, so to be able to have that week together was a huge gift.

5. We love our new friendships.  

Moving has taken a toll on our friendships! By that, I mean in the almost five years we've been married, most of our couple-friends moved away. Not all, but most. And then we moved away. It's hard to find new friends that you genuinely click with, right? And we probably still have many friendships to uncover and enjoy. But this new life has allowed us to make new friendships among Ryan's co-workers that we hadn't been able to properly invest in before. We're grateful!


Life in the second year looked really different from life in the first year, but both were equally grand and rich in their fullness. We know that the year ahead will probably look different still, but we are looking forward to seeing what it brings!

Sure, I still miss my station friends, but I don't miss the frantic pace of commuting and long hours away from home. I love the fruit of this new season, still. Grateful.