This is a blog post I wrote about a year ago on my other website. I blog about our boat projects and our journey towards “Phase 3” and living full time on our sailboat. I hope you enjoy it!
One of my most beloved and cherished quotes comes from the childhood Christmas tale “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. At the end of the movie the Winter Warlock, having exhausted his bag of tricks to making the reindeer fly, wants to give his two friend (Chris aka Santa Claus & Jessica aka Mrs. Santa) a special wedding gift. He looks out over the snow covered trees and says “Please…Just a Little Magic”. With a wave of his wand, the trees all light up and you can’t help by say “Ahhhhhhh”. It’s just wonderful! I get all misty just thinking about it! Well, a few weeks ago I had a big (think lightning bolt) moment of uncertainty that lead to a complete meltdown rant. “What are we doing….How crazy must we be to think about someday selling all our “stuff” and moving on a boat….Are we going to have enough money…What if we don’t…we’ll be destitute…we will have to live on food stamps…I didn’t work 25 years to end up kicked to the curb!” My poor better half just sat there, stunned, not really knowing what to say. Now, I’m not a indecisive person. When presented with a problem, I carefully review my options, pick the best one and then roll full steam ahead never regretting my decision. And while I’ve had the opportunity to learn valuable lessons from choices I’ve made, I don’t look back, and never regret. So, when this came over me, I was really tied up in knots about what was going on. I spent a restless night with a unsettled mind. The next morning, on my way to the gym, I continued to try to find the right answer. I just kept repeating “God, help me know what’s right”. I don’t often ask God for a sign. I figure that he’s pretty busy with all the people who really need help (destitute, food stamps…etc) God gave me a good head and a strong heart and counts on me to use it. But on this day, I needed a little something.
So, I grumpty-grumped my way though the workout listening to my favorite Kenny Chesney tunes- all very relevant to living the dream, taking chances, etc. Suddenly, I looked down, and saw some cross training ropes. Usually just piled up in a corner, for some reason, they were perfectly coiled, just like the dock lines on my boat. At that very moment, Kenny was crooning about “The Life” and there they were. I couldn’t have asked for a more clear sign. Thanks God- I get it.
So, faith restored, we are continuing forward on our journey. In the meantime, look for the signs in life. They are all around you especially when you need them most. You only have to be willing to believe and open yourself up to “Just a Little Magic.”
― Jillian Lauren, Pretty