Sometimes the best lessons in patience require impatience. Such went the process of finding and buying our first home. But now, looking back I can’t believe that we’ve almost lived in our first home for a year. All the stress and wondering if we would ever find something….and now this–to pinching ourselves that we own a home…and a dog!
In the midst of the stress and trial and searching and wondering it’s all too easy to be consumed with what-ifs. What if we never find the right home? What if we have to settle for less than what we want? What if we have to renew our apartment lease and lose money? What if the appraisal comes back low? What if the house doesn’t pass inspection?
There’s so much uncertainty in life. Even for something as seemingly small in the scheme of life as buying your first home, it’s fraught with uncertainty. The stress we place on ourselves, the pressure to get what we want or achieve something or find success. It can be extrapolated to every instance in life.
Who are we trying to please? Towards what are we directing our “achievement?” By whose standards am I measuring my success?
This last year has been one of tremendous growth for D and I. Managing a household certainly comes with its challenges-keeping the yard mowed, landscaping, keeping the dog alive, bills, decorating, fixing things. However, we have grown in the area of moving in harmony. We have built upon our knowledge of the other, being able to almost finish sentences and read what the other is thinking.
Best of all, we have done it together. He and I, we chose this house we have now made our home. We painstakingly weeded out many, many paint colors that, quite frankly, all looked the same. We agreed upon a carpet color/style. We toiled at the earth with our dueling lawn mowers and shovels and rakes. We had the help of family-my mother helped paint the laundry room one day with me while D was away, my father came with me to the carpet quote to make sure I wasn’t getting ripped off, D’s mother spent countless hours in our garden and helping us extend our back patio, his uncle helped create our front flower garden.
All the uncertainty of one year ago led to this moment in time. All the stress and agonizing over the multitude of decision that had to be made in a short amount of time brought us to our new home. Now, looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. That uncertain path led us to this present.
“All the wealth in the world cannot be compared with the happiness of living together happily united.” – Blessed Margaret d’Youville
other-minded 