Get the Jeep.

Take the trip, visit the friend, do the things. Someday is today.

My entire adult life, I’ve wanted to own a Jeep Wrangler. A top down, wind in my hair, adventure-is-calling, kind of Jeep. (I’ve also always wanted a Golden Retriever, to ride next to me in said Jeep.)

But here’s the thing… A Jeep Wrangler is not exactly a “practical choice.” At least not for a family of 5, including 3 young kids. They don’t get the best gas mileage. They aren’t well insulated from the cold and heat, since they have a convertible top. And they don’t have a 3rd row like larger SUVS (or a convenient sliding door like a soccer mom minivan, to tote all those kids and sports equipment around…)

They aren’t the most practical vehicle. And I’ve always been a pretty practical gal.

So, as our family has expanded over the last decade and a half, I suddenly went from a cool young newlywed who dreamed of driving a Jeep to a mom of 3 who quickly shoved that dream aside for the sake of carseats, safety, and you guessed it- practicality.

Maybe, someday…I thought.

You know, those “someday” ideas. I bet you have them too…Someday, I’ll get the Jeep. Someday, I’ll take the trip. Someday, I’ll visit that friend. Someday, I’ll make the call, quit the job, start the business, write the book, and on and on. Our “someday” lists can start to really accumulate by the time we reach 40.

But guess what?

Someday is today. Because honestly, what other day do we have?

So this year, as I inched closer to flipping the page into a new decade, my husband began reminding me of that “someday” dream. He has seen me talk myself out of many wild ideas over the years…some good, and others not so much. But he knew this one would be worth it.

So for my 40th birthday (and probably the rest of my birthday gifts for the rest of my life…!) we bought my Jeep.

This purchase just so happened to coincide with Election Day 2024. While most people were out voting (I had already cast my vote in the early elections a few days before), glued to the news, or anxiously awaiting results, I had decided I would do none of those. Instead, I was going to get some fresh air, and go test drive my someday dream. I traded in our older SUV and bought it on the spot.

As it turned out, the election came and went and unfolded in some painfully unexpected ways for me. It has been a very tough week for many others I love, too. And while my joy over my Jeep doesn’t begin to account for the deep grief I am processing, it does remind me of one thing every time I get behind the wheel:

Someday is today.

We dream, and we hope, we plan, and we wait for so many things in our lives… and sometimes life doesn’t go at all like we planned. Sometimes, we forget those dreams we had. We push them to the side for a season, for reasons that matter and reasons that don’t. Other times, we lose the chance to act on our dreams, depending on who is making the rules and circumstances that are out of our control. We truly are never guaranteed a “someday.” Things can change in an instant in this life, and we can’t ever anticipate what the days ahead may hold.

So, why not? Call that person. Repair that broken friendship. Book that trip. Write that book. Quit (or start) that job. Do the thing you’ve been dreaming about. Actually do it this time. Because in the end, it’s not about the Jeep at all - it’s about acting on that thing you’ve been quietly contemplating. It’s about making good on a promise/hope/wish you had for yourself… and someday is today.

The days ahead are uncertain for many of us… all of us, actually. We never know what tomorrow will hold. So really, what are you (we) waiting for?

Someday,

Leigh

P.S. Who was I to define what “practical” meant, anyway?! As it turns out… this Jeep is maybe THE most practical vehicle I have ever driven. I don’t ever worry about the carpet getting dirty with my kids’ muddy shoes…because the floors are all rubber. I don’t worry about that Golden Retriever scratching the leather…because the seats are cloth made to withstand off-roading adventures… and life with my crew sometimes feels like an off-road adventure anyway. My Jeep is a throwback to the days of simplicity, with manual locks and windows (my kids had no idea those existed before now…) It is the rugged, adventurous, simple features that bring my “someday” dream full circle.

(Also somehow, when my girls and I sing at the top of our lungs while driving down the highway, we all sound just exactly like Taylor Swift, herself. I’m sure of it ; )