What sacrifices have you made in life?
If you had asked me ten years ago what I thought sacrifice looked like, I would’ve pointed right at my own life.
I graduated college, full of hope, ready to start a career in the field I actually studied for. I had some solid job offers—like, legit dream gigs—but they weren’t close to home. They required a move. The kind of move that could’ve changed our lives in the best way. But my wife at the time? She wasn’t having it. She didn’t want to move away from her family. So we stayed.
And just like that, my degree started collecting dust.
To make ends meet, I picked up two jobs. I worked myself to the bone so she could go to school and chase her dream. A degree she ended up never even trying to use. Not once. All that time, money, and energy—for what? I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was the only one sacrificing. I was giving up my goals, my career, my time, and honestly… my sanity.
Fast forward to now, and life looks a whole lot different. I’m remarried—this time, to someone who is truly my perfect match. We don’t live by the word “sacrifice.” We live by balance. We support each other. We plan together. If one of us has an opportunity, we figure out how to make it work for both of us. There’s no “you have to give this up so I can do that.” We’re a team.
I used to think sacrifice was just part of life. But now? I know that when you’re with the right person, you don’t have to lose yourself to make things work. You build a life where both people thrive.
And that’s the kind of life I’ll never trade.
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