8 Years Feels Like a Lifetime

Wow, Open Diary. Hello old friend. It’s been 8 years … 8 years.

It’s a lifetime in terms of changes to my world. 8 years ago, I was 28 with no kids. Today, I’m 36 with 4 children. My wife and I are in our 12th year of marriage. Oh, the things I didn’t know before being a father.

Where do I begin? … When we talk to young couples now, I often say that marriage taught me how selfish I am. One of my early fights with my wife was not squeezing the toothpaste from the bottom of the tube (like every sane person should – ha!). I remember specifically being in my apartment’s kitchen and thinking, “Eric, you are so selfish.” God teaches you how to serve through marriage, but that’s just the beginning of it. Then, you have kids!

Now, you are responsible for another person’s life. You want to know how incredibly selfish you are? Have kids! lol.

It was not easy for us. It took us a year and a half to get pregnant. There were a lot of prayers said. We gathered around our church, and when we finally did get pregnant, what a celebration! We had Emil, and he changed our lives forever. Then, the first miscarriage. Tragedy. Sadness. Heartache. Then, pregnant with Corin and so much rejoicing. We named him Corin Solomon to remind us of the baby that was lost. Then, pregnant again and a second miscarriage. The Fall and the curses are brutal. The sadness was devastating again. But then, Rafe Archer, and we blessed him that he would have a quiver full of arrows. And now, Miriam Layne, our little girl.

8 years. So many things learned. In business too. We’ve been through the ups and downs of Marketplace Earth. I worked for a local startup as their Head of Marketing, and now the Lord has led me into real estate. We own a We Buy NKY Houses, and now I am a Realtor with Keller Williams and run Team Sztanyo Realtors. We have been investing in real estate since 2011, but it took another 7 years for me to understand this was the kind of work I wanted to do going forward. It’s good work, and I am loving it. I had to learn some real lessons about who I was as a man, a husband, a father. And this work is fitting into all of those identities in a strong way. I get to help people find their homes. I get to help people create a space where they will raise their families. It’s good work, and I’m really enjoying it. I’m just on the front end of it, but I know it’s going to suit me well in the years to come. And, I’m looking forward to helping my family, friends and friends I haven’t met yet find their home in Cincinnati and NKY.

8 years. Wow. It feels good to be back Open Diary. I’m sure you have a lot of people who over these past few weeks have been reflecting over this time period, and maybe picking up journaling in a way they haven’t done for years. It’s always been healthy for me, to get my thoughts out. To let some creative juices run wild. It feels good to write again.

Now, we can share this journey of fatherhood, family and work a bit more with the Open Diary world.