I am going to interrupt our normal home building posts for something personal. đź’«
Two events in my adult life that have made a huge impact on me.
The passing of my dear friend Geoffrey, in 2013, she was 31 just shy of 32. She was a true Joy. And often very sarcastic which made her really funny. She was the honest best friend we all need in our lives.
I got the news of her passing one morning in a hotel. We were in Bismarck looking at a new house. Thinking of moving there. My last text to her was, “we just walked through our new home! “ I knew she would be just as excited as I was. Because that’s the friend she was. I never got a reply. But I know she pushed me to make the decision to make an offer on that house and redirect the path of our lives. I never even imagined how good our life would be in Bismarck.
10 years later, march 2023, I get a phone call while working in my new home office,
“Sarah. I have some bad news to share, Mark Trogstad passed away”.
Mark is my cousin. He was only in his 40s. He has twins, Macies age (17), he and his wife Jenny were high school sweethearts, best friends. That hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like I could be living that exact same scenario.
We went to his funeral and got to experience the love of their family. The bond of their family. The strength of their family. It really touched me. I remember looking around feeling their love and support for one another. My heart aches for Jenny, Marks wife. And his two kids. I know they are being held up by so much Love and strength. I believe Mark now gets to watch over them. And orchestrate great things for them and his whole family.đź’«
That experience really changed me again. This proved to me,
Life can be short or long.
We don’t know.
I want to feel and share happiness every single day. I want to feel and share love. Every single day.
I am a dreamer. And I have a lot of dreams and plans for what we can do with our business, the places we can travel to, and the memories we can make as a family. I want to experience it all.
So what am I waiting for?
I want us to be a powerful example to our kids, who are now young adults. I want to show them that you can do anything. And anything is possible. It does take work. And believing in yourself. It takes mistakes, and imperfections, But once you can break down your own walls. That is a powerful thing.
There’s so much to be happy about.
If you are having a bad day.
Think of a happy memory.
Feel that memory.
I promise you.
You’ll will change your own day. 💫
What are you waiting for? 🙌🏻
Sarah Grendahl
Owner of Grendahl Design Co