We Are Women of Temporary Dresser Drawers; The Users of Worn Hangers and The Stirrers of Former WAG Sauce Pots

Okay…so we left off with me feeling weird about being stuck between “GO FIGHT WIN!” for playoffs and “I miss my mannnnn, come home.” So far…I’m still there BUT the difference is, I no longer feel weird about wanting him to come home AND they made playoffs AND…they WON THE FIRST ROUND!! God is good!...I’m encouraging him to play to the best of his ability for the next few rounds. If they win, HALLELUIJAH; it’s what he’s worked hard and prayed for. If they lose this semifinal round…well…we sort of have our own championship to get to in juuuuuuust under two months. So either way…it’s a win/win in our book.

Now that we’re all updated… Let’s get into this week’s topic of discussion. “Unique living situations for us ladies and our little families during off-season.”

SUPER interesting subject, especially for those of us WAGS that had entirely different visions of what our living arrangements would be at our big ages. Lol.

SO…before I got married, I had my own apartment (had zero interest in buying a home), a car, and a fulltime high-paying job. I was living my absolute best 20-something life and then….I let the lease go, sold my car, packed up what could fit in a closet and quit my job. We’ve all done it and been there so no need to go into detail BUT… what’s interesting is that I never imagined I’d be renting out my in-law’s basement while starting a family 3 years into marriage. Lol.  It was never an initial thought of mine because like a lot of us millennials, I thought I’d have the house and white picket fence or at least a super fly condo in the city when I got married. Lol. But I married a pro-athlete who lives in a new country every year. That means if we don’t decide to pay rent for a place we barely live in, or have a mortgage and rent out the space while we’re gone, owning a home just doesn’t make sense. And you know what? That’s actually been OKAY for us.

NOW LISTEN TO ME AND LISTEN TO ME GOOD. I absolutely love it at my in-laws and am incredibly grateful for the space they allow us to take up. I’m grateful that we can save money for our future, plan wisely without a rush to move and maximize family time! I’m grateful that my parent-in-loves give us breathing room and are open to letting us do whatever we want in our space to make it feel like our own. God has truly blessed us with the greatest set up and while I’d love to add throw blankets and unnecessary pillows to our own long-term homebase for my little family, I can’t even begin to express my gratitude for our own personal version of a waiting room. The time for our own home will come. I understand that I am very fortunate to have the relationship I have with my in-laws in addition to the love and support of my side of the family.

I recognize that that’s not everyone’s story. Some of my girls own homes and are renting them out successfully during the seasons they’re gone; some are comfortable enough to pay rent to secure their spaces during the season even if they’re not living there, some have NO CLUE of what they’re going to do because it’s their first time and some ladies are having a really tough time with off-season living because they long for their own.

While I’m not living those exact experiences, I can sympathize with both the feelings of contentment because I’ve secured my place to live AND longing because I desire to own something stable in a life of built-in instability. Either way, I feel you girl.

I think that even though we live this exciting life and we get to be nomads in a sense, it gets to be a little overwhelming when we think about how much we have to manage our intake of clothes, household appliances, toys for the kids, hair products, and just our stuff in general. Being a minimalist in 2024 is aesthetically pleasing and while sometimes a freedom, it can be a pain. We want to collect tangible memories and save our favorite hoodies but a bunch of us are limited on space.

We are women of temporary dresser drawers; the users of worn hangers and the stirrers of former WAG sauce pots. WE ARE UNBELIEVABLE.

I want you to know that I see you. I hear you and I’m praying for a steady peace in the beautiful and ever-changing chaos that IS this life. I’m praying for opportunities of expansion and a stillness in the midst of constant movement. I’m praying for stability on bumpy cobblestone streets and addresses with smooth sidewalks when you come back home. Our ankles and stroller wheels depend on it. ;)

You’re not alone sis. There’s an ENTIRE community of us that understand and can speak to any situation you find yourself in. Reach out! You NEVER know how we can pull together to assist, even if it's just to lend an ear.

See you on the next used couch, ha.

Your sideline sis,