Are You Fulfilled?
Fulfillment, or being fulfilled is something we often take to prayer, or at least should take to prayer. Over the last month, Joshua and I have been busy painting, re-carpeting, cleaning, packing, and unpacking. Oh, the joys that come with moving into a new house! Even though we have had a lot from friends, it’s been a lot, especially with a one-year-old to take care of.
Somewhere in the middle of all this, we had time for a conversation that led to a surprising revelation: “We don’t feel like we need more free time!” Of course, there are plenty of things we’d love to do if there were more hours in the day. We both love to read. I love to bake. He loves to paint. It is true that we do not have time for these hobbies we enjoy. He works 8-5 Monday-Friday, I take care of Peter and am primarily responsible for the running of our home. We prioritize an evening workout time. There are weekly chores and errands to run. On Sunday we go to Mass. As you can see, there is not a whole ton of free time.
But free time is not a problem.
What Fulfillment Looks Like
When we were having this conversation, Joshua was telling me how much he loves his job. It is, of course, a job, and he doesn’t necessarily LOVE sitting at his desk for 8 hours a day away from his family…but he does enjoy what he does. I would not want to do anything other than being home with Peter. Again, being a stay-at-home mom is a job. It’s hard, sacrificial, and unpredictable! The point is, neither of us would trade where we are for anything in the world.
We are not just simply content with our roles in our family…WE ARE FULFILLED.
It is fulfilling for Joshua to go to work every day to provide for his family. He gets to go to a job he loves and has worked so hard for. At the end of a satisfying day, he gets to come home to big smiles and open arms. For me, it is fulfilling to wake up to my baby boy cooing (or crying) every day. I get to spend the first hour of my morning taking care of the two of us. This call allows me to prioritize my family and our home over everything else.
On Saturday, it is fulfilling for us to run errands and do chores I did not get to during the week. On Sunday, it is fulfilling for us to take up two hours of our one “day of rest” and go to Mass. It is here where we are able to thank God for our beautiful lives. It is fulfilling for us to sacrifice for each other by letting the more tired spouse sleep an extra hour on the weekends while the other takes the baby who is in a perfect circadian rhythm and does NOT believe in sleeping in.
The Blessing of Fulfillment
It is such a blessing to feel fulfilled, not just content, but fulfilled, in our lives. It helps us both feel like everyday life is all we need. We do not necessarily need regular “free time” or more or less of anything. We need to be happy and satisfied with our lives, in this moment.
This is not a mindset or a disposition we intentionally achieved. It is a blessing we were able to recognize after a year of experience in giving up what we thought we wanted, for someone we loved more than anything in the world. Are you fulfilled?
