This Week's Light: Building Dreams, Feeding People, and Wrestling with Life

A weekly reflection from the Shared Light community

Hey friends,

Some weeks are about moving forward while still carrying the weight of what came before. This week was exactly that – a mix of progress, setbacks, excitement, and our not-so-secret obsession with grown adults in spandex throwing each other around a ring.

Still Fighting the Good Fight

We're still in the thick of finding a new school option for our daughter. The anger and disgust from last week's situation hasn't faded; if anything, it's fuel for making sure we find her a place where kindness is celebrated, not blamed. Every phone call, every application, every conversation with potential new schools reminds us why we're doing this. Our 10-year-old deserves better, and we won't settle until she gets it.

The search continues, but so does our determination.

Building Something Together

On a much brighter note, this week was all about turning dreams into reality. We spent most of our time setting up our online store and getting it live on our podcast website. Watching an idea transform from "wouldn't it be cool if..." to an actual functioning business has been one of the most rewarding experiences of this entire journey.

We've got some new merch designs that we're genuinely excited about, and seeing them come to life has been one of the highlights of this whole process. Right now we're waiting on design samples to make sure the quality meets our standards, because if we're going to put our name on something, it better be worth your money and our reputation.

This whole experience has reminded us why we love building things together. Every decision, every late-night design session, every "what do you think about this?" conversation is another thread in the fabric of what we're creating as a team.

The Empire Strikes Back (Again)

Remember a few weeks ago when our dogs decided our new internet line looked delicious? Well, apparently they didn't learn their lesson the first time. Yup, it happened again. At this point, we're living in our own version of The Empire Strikes Back; just when we thought we had our internet situation under control, our furry rebels struck again with devastating effectiveness.

Like the Rebellion facing the Empire's second assault, we're now considering whether we need to invest in some kind of industrial-strength cable protection or just accept that our dogs have formed their own alliance against our telecommunications infrastructure. The difference is, instead of lightsabers and Death Stars, we're dealing with puppy teeth and fiber optic cables.

It's the kind of problem that's simultaneously hilarious and infuriating, especially when you're trying to run an online business and your internet keeps getting sabotaged by your own pets. At least Darth Vader had a clear motivation; our dogs are just agents of chaos.

Feeding the People Who Matter

Before we dive into our weekend obsession, we need to talk about something that happened earlier in the week. Dustie got up early again to make burritos for my employees who were working hard. It's become her thing – this beautiful way of showing appreciation that goes way beyond words.

Some people say thank you with a card or an email. Dustie shows her love by keeping people fed. There's something powerful about nourishing the people who work alongside you, about taking time to create something with your own hands that says, "I see your effort and I value it." My team has come to expect these gestures, and honestly, it makes me proud every time to work with someone who understands that gratitude is an action, not just a feeling.

Our Not-So-Secret Shame

Alright, time to come clean about something: we are absolutely, unapologetically huge WWE fans, and this weekend was WrestleMania. If you don't know what that means, imagine the Super Bowl but with more drama, better storylines, and people in colorful costumes settling their differences through choreographed violence.

We spent most of yesterday getting ready for it – and by getting ready, I mean diving deep into all the storylines, the twists, the turns, and the months of build-up that led to this weekend. There's something beautifully ridiculous about getting emotionally invested in whether someone's going to retain their championship belt or finally get their revenge after months of betrayal.

Tonight is night 2, and we're genuinely excited to see how all the storylines play out. Will our favorites win? Will there be surprise returns? Will someone get thrown through a table in spectacular fashion? These are the important questions that will occupy our Sunday evening.

The Beauty of Unashamed Enthusiasm

Here's the thing about loving something that other people might find silly: it's incredibly freeing. WWE might be "fake" in the sense that the outcomes are predetermined, but the athleticism is real, the storytelling is real, and the joy we get from watching it together is absolutely real.

In a week that started with school frustrations and internet-eating dogs launching their second assault, there's something beautiful about having something to look forward to that's purely for fun. Something that makes us laugh, cheer, and occasionally yell at the TV like the outcome actually depends on our emotional investment.

What We're Learning About Balance

This week reminded us that life is beautifully complex. You can be fighting for your child's future while building your own dreams. You can be frustrated with systems that fail kids while celebrating the small victories of launching an online store. You can be dealing with dogs who apparently think fiber optic cables are gourmet treats while getting genuinely excited about predetermined wrestling matches.

The key is showing up for all of it – the serious stuff that matters deeply and the silly stuff that brings joy. Both have their place in a life well-lived.

What We're Carrying Forward

We're still angry about the school situation, and that anger is motivating us to find better. We're excited about our business growth and the possibilities it represents. We're grateful for people who work hard and for partners who show love through homemade burritos. And yes, we're unashamed WWE fans who will spend our Sunday evening cheering for people we've never met to win championships that exist in a world of scripted drama.

What brings you unashamed joy? How do you balance the serious work of life with the things that make you smile?

Thanks for letting us share both the struggles and the silly obsessions. Life is too short to pretend you're too cool for the things that make you happy.

Here's to building dreams, feeding people, and never being too grown-up to cheer for your favorites. JR & Dustie

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