Just sit in your house and think, look how far I’ve come.

The creator Erin Monroe made a TikTok talking about how they sit in their kid’s rooms and how proud they are to be able to give them their rooms. To give them a beautiful house to live in, and they go on to reflect on how they got there. Watch the full TikTok below.

It made me cry. Because not only have I sat in my child’s room reflecting on how awesome it is, I sit in other parts of my house and think, wow look how far it has come.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I moved into my house in August 2017! I made a full post about it — read it here. The whole ordeal was interesting. With two friends and three cars one Saturday morning we moved into the house with what little we had.

I had a friend who gave me a mattress which Zoie and I shared for a bit. We had no pots, pans, no other furniture, two pillows, a set of plates, a single set of sheets, old towels, and clothing.

Thankfully through the help of freelance projects and several friends I was able to pull together money to buy pots, pans, bedding, and several other things for our house. It was interesting, to say the least. It took four years to get a couch.

I struggled to pay bills, rent, groceries, and everyday finances. We had our water turned off twice, our gas shut off, and our power shut off. Several times our internet has been shut off, and the car has been repossessed.

It’s been an uphill battle. A lot of tears. A lot of trying to figure out what to cut, and what was important.

I look at my house now, and I see it full of photos of friends, Zoie and I together, artwork from many artists all over the world, furniture, and more plants than we probably should have. Zoie’s room is full of tons of toys, and books, her own bed full of too many Squishmallows, 30+ blankets, and way too many pillows.

Our house is full of items, love, and a ton of great memories! Yes, it was an uphill battle and it will continue to be. But I’m super proud of how far I’ve come and looking forward to many more memories in this house.

If you’re currently struggling — know it does get better. It’s okay to break down and cry! It’s okay to ask yourself why and get pissed off. But never give up trying — because one day — you’ll look back and be thankful for how far you’ve come.