Inside: As I celebrate the 5th birthday of A Life in Progress I reflect on the journey and on all the people who have come alongside and helped me keep going. I witness my strength and look forward with curiosity and hope.
Five years ago, A Life in Progress officially came to life as I took a deep breath, stepped out upon the water, and published my first blog post.
A Life in Progress: The First Five Years
That first year I was a homeschooling mama with one kid heading to college, one in high school, one in grade five.
Years two and three I plodded along part-time, trying work on for size and releasing whatever did not light me up, learning to show up through fear and my deeply ingrained tendency to procrastinate and hide. I found friends online and owe much to bloggers who went before me and used their platforms and resources to reach out and lift me up. There are many but off the cuff, a hearty thank you to Brian Gardner, Joshua Becker, Erica Layne, Rebecca Cooper, and one of my favourite humans Zina Harrington.
In year four I entered the fight of my life. While I kept working and I had more work than I could take and I had my first 8+k/months and a book deal offer, I released personal ambition and ego to fight for my son’s life. I pared down more and more out of necessity but I did not quit. We needed my income and my work and mission serve as a life-line for me even as I care for others.
This past year of A Life in Progress started off, three weeks after launching my Brave & Beautiful Community, with a serious car accident/concussion/injury and three weeks later the death of my son. Somehow I kept living, breathing, serving my community while holding my family close and walking with PTSD and panic attacks (and then dealing like the rest of the world with Covid). This has been the most painful experience of my life (I hope).
Once again I am deeply grateful for the grace and compassion of others. Family, friends, local community. My clients and students. And the beautiful humans in the simple and slow living/minimalism circle online who took over posting for me when I could no longer show up.
I don’t know what we’d have done personally and professionally without the gift and privilege of community care.
Looking Forward With Hope and Curiosity
I’m looking forward with curiosity and hope, holding space as is my norm for joyful possibility. I’ve brought in a small team to support me at A Life in Progress because I continue my work wholeheartedly but very part-time.
I had wanted to do something fun to celebrate my 5th “slow business” birthday. A giveaway for instance. But the truth is, I don’t have the energy.
Instead, I will celebrate quietly by writing this simple message as I sit in the late August sunshine.
5 Observations after 5 years of A Life in Progress
I am proud of myself. Incredibly f*ing proud of myself (I have many F-words inside of me these days) for how I loved my son and self and family through all of this. For not quitting. For saying yes to growth and the fullness of life and becoming.
I am grateful. For all the people who’ve loved me/us from meals dropped off at the door, help bringing a memorial to life, for friendship and financial help in the middle of a dark and terrible storm.
I am happy. Happy in the thick of grief and uncertainty. We have a warm, dry home, access to medical care, we eat simple, colourful whole foods and plenty of it. I’m happy for stacks of books and beeswax candles and a glass of wine in the dappled early evening light. For courses and my husband and girls and I moving toward each other rather than away though grief can easily tear families apart, and because of how my work gathers beautiful, interesting, growth-minded clients from different corners of this big, wide world.
I am determined. More than ever I feel stubborn and determined to continue bearing a light of hope and encouragement. To model strength, self-compassion, wholeness and walking with purpose and JOY in every season. To tell the truth and advocate for sensitive, feely, needed, worthy, hurting humans who cannot stand alone. People like my boy.
I just am. I’m here walking with you for a while. None of us knows how many days we get. I’m soaking up each one.
Love Krista xo
NOW WHAT? Thank you for being part of the A Life in Progress community. I’m so glad you’re here. In honour of my birthday here at ALIP I extend an invitation – would you look around you and do one kind thing for another human within your circle of impact? You probably already do this. But will you celebrate with me by remembering the life-giving power of a kind word, a helping hand, or a simple but honest act of love?
