I Get To

Sometimes our to-do lists become so full that all we feel is the weight of them. And somewhere on that list may be something we once dreamed about.

Along the journey, we hopefully get to see some of our dreams come true. But as we begin living them, they become familiar. The dream becomes a responsibility, and the responsibility becomes another thing we have to do.

Something we once wished for becomes something we feel burdened by.

When that happens, I try to remind myself:

I don’t have to. I get to.

That doesn’t make every responsibility easy. We can be grateful and still be tired. But those three words help me remember why I wanted the opportunity in the first place.

I get to do work I once hoped to do. I get to show up for people who matter to me. I get to care for things I worked hard to build.

Even the small dreams deserve to be remembered once they come true.

None of us knows how long these opportunities will last. There may come a day when we would give almost anything for one more ordinary day doing something that feels burdensome now.

I don’t want to wait until it’s gone to appreciate what it means to have it.

So I try to change “I have to” into “I get to.”

The list may stay the same. But I see it differently—as a reminder of how much of my life I once could only hope for.