Adjustments

 

Well as we know it life has its twists and turns. And after 2 months of reeling from what was a shock to us all initially, I’m ready to process it through writing.

Our start to the new year was a new job for James. We weathered the storm of Covid to his shipping company, but the stress associated with that job along with the constant demands from people complaining about what always amounts to their “stuff” not being delivered on time or in a matter that they wanted when its being tracked across the globe, ended up being too much. We knew it was time to get out even though our money was tied up in the company and despite the fact that the life was seemingly to be sucked out of my husband on a daily basis. So, he found a job as a country manager for a business, and we had hopes of the extra income from a new job in the corporate world, to be the thing that was going to change us. Change our financial state, change our constant battles with not ever seeming to get to the place where we have anything extra, and change us finally getting free of our debts and thus in tern finally getting us to that elusive place where all our hopes and dreams can finally be actualized because when it comes down to it, its money that always seems to hold us back. Right?!

And then after 3 months of working extremely hard and many, many long hours for this company in setting everything up and getting key clients on board, they dropped him. Work Permit, Immigration, Contract issues however they wanted to put it - from our perspective, it was clear they didn’t want the expense of keeping him on payroll. So that was that. In hindsight we saw signs that maybe this wasn’t going to be a good thing.

But we were still surprised and didn’t really know what to make of this turn of events.

But here’s the nutshell. We took a week to think about it and pray and he decided to start a woodworking, wood drying business. He is still getting a small income from his courier company, the business he bought into with his other shareholders, but this new business would be his own and what he wanted to do. Quality anything is hard to come by in Zambia and there is nowhere that sells dried wood. So, he spent the last 2 months building a solar kiln and he is now starting the process to dry wood.

Its quite interesting how it all works but he’s got several orders in the queue to make things for people mostly furniture and small things for now. He’s trying to figure out the market and alternative sources for getting logs and wood and the milling and transportation process etc. It’s a lot to get started especially when there are no “startup” funds for this business, but we are at a good place now having learned what we want to do and how to do it.

Especially we have learned over all these years since ending ministry work, what we want and what we need for our family wise. Its not at all a secret among the family that I like Monday mornings, when everyone goes back to school, to work to their routine- that I like my personal space, and that I like to be alone at home sometimes which never actually happens especially since we’ve been homeschooling, or the kids have been doing online learning for pretty much the last 20 years. But its still something I try to obtain. I’m not sure I think maybe there was 1 year in the last 20 when everyone was at a school, but I can’t recall. I can’t even keep track of the number of “disagreements” over feeling like my home space was being invaded by pretty much everyone whose home it was also…strange. But I’m sure some of you can relate.

I don’t even know what that’s like to drop your kids at school as a stay-at-home mom and then have the whole day til you pick them up. Anyway. That’s ok. Its fast approaching now where the house will be empty and then I’ll be weeping over that.

So, all that to say the biggest fear I had of James doing a business from home was not that the risk was too much. Cause we were already at a place where we had nothing, absolutely nothing to lose in trying.

But the biggest fear was that he was going to be home. Working, but HOME.

And I am not sure how I got to the place where that was a problem. He worked from home as a pastor for about 15 years, but in the last 10 I think I’ve come to be ok with knowing who I am and what I can try to overcome and what I need for my own state and I’m ok with that.

So my biggest fear was walking through the house on my way to do my house work or business and he was going to be there.  My day-to-day routine with those kids that are home is pretty laid back. Everyone just grabs their own breakfast and lunch too and I didn’t want to have expectations on me that we would all be sitting around the table for every meal during the day etc.  I also didn’t want o feel guilty if I was taking a break reading a book, wasting some time on the internet or the rare occasion that I would sneak off to my room and watch a tv show. With my business I also run around a lot. So in my mind I didn’t want to feel every time I got into the car to head somewhere that I would need to say goodbye I’ll be back and so on and so forth.

All these examples to explain why in my mind this working form home was going to be problematic for us, for me especially. I even googled how to work form home and still get along with each other. Basically, my thoughts about retirement and how that would some day play out, were fast forwarded and I was stressed.

But, I am so thankful God has been good and given us much help. We have worked out a routine now (the first weeks were rough, and emotions were intense and high- mine of course!), he’s got an office now (Emma’s old room- which yes she was helped to move out quickly in part because of this and I know she is still working through our quick decisions, but with a good attitude at least 😊). His office accesses the back porch and can get to his workshop that way without going through the whole house. Part of the problem is the layout of the house is so bad, that anyone wanting to get to one part of the house must go through the main areas. I diverge but that is an issue in this rental house that we are so thankful for but also, we get so frustrated with at times too.

Also I realized that I don’t have to interact with everyone every time I see them. That’s too much. Just cause someone walks by me and I am at my desk, or I’m sitting on the couch

A.      I don’t have to say anything to them

B.      I don’t have to know where they are going or what they are doing

And likewise, the same for me. So that continues to be a work in progress, but it’s a forward moving work, which is really all I can ask for. I have been so thankful that my business has really started to grow this year and I am putting a lot of effort into that, probably am a 75% working mom at this stage in life. That also is working out for us, and I am thankful that I can put my efforts and time into running my business from home as well, and that I can also be contributing in that way.

Right now, though, Home is a noisy place, and ironically its no longer from all the kids. Some days after dinner and everyone is doing their own thing, the house and yard are finally quiet. We currently have 5 staff working on the property. 2 for the house, 2 for my bakery and 1 for James’s business. The 2 house staff also work in our businesses as well So it is A LOT. I have started finding a day or two a week to leave home just to get some quiet and do some work, sometimes I will linger long at a coffee shop after my deliveries or checking on my products in stores just to be able to get some things done. But I am SO Thankful we have fallen into a good routine and our stress levels have lowered and things at least at home are going along smoothly.

James has been getting several custom orders and now after getting the wood in the kiln and starting the drying process he has started making some small projects for selling. He has made some beautiful things already and I continue to be pleasantly surprised at his skill and creativeness. Since his company is now registered, we can incorporate Jackson’s leatherwork into the company as well and will continue to develop that aspect as time allows. Caleb has been saving to get a welding machine and has been interested in ironwork so that’s a great complement to the crafts if he chooses to get involved in that.

So, Williamson Craftsmen Co. was born!  

Sometimes the very thing that you thought would provide you the security and stability that you desperately wanted was the very thing that was going to take you farther and farther from those goals. And sometimes in order to take a risk you must be at the place where you say, well what have we got to lose at this point really?

I am thankful and we are very much feeling peaceful now. And I did very much have to literally call my best friend and have her give me a pep talk… Megan you can do this. It will be hard but you can! You can support and encourage this business and it can be a very good thing for your family.

So, in the end having the prospect of “more money” with trying to find another job in the corporate world and the prospect of “more time” with a family business that the kids can be involved in especially in their last years at home, definitely tipped the scales.  I am proud of James.  His ambition and drive to keep working hard for our family has never wavered in over 27 years. He is the Man!