Remembering When

Sixteen years ago, tomorrow—after living in an apartment for five years—I bought my first house as a sole provider. Although the house was old, it was ideal for my daughter and me. She had her space upstairs, and I had mine downstairs. I needed an office and an extra room for guests, so the four big bedrooms with four walk-in closets sealed the deal. To make the deal even sweeter, twin sister lived a couple streets over.

Trust me when I tell you that I’ve invested lots of money in the house—new windows, new heat pump, a small deck and a sump pump to handle standing water. I repainted the whole interior (by myself) and put in new flooring in key areas. I’ve also had several tall trees removed, a million miscellaneous projects done, and I recently had some new fencing installed. It never ends though. I could spend $10K right now without blinking an eye.

Although the two-story is no longer ideal for me, the thought of moving again makes me dizzy. Maybe I will and maybe I won’t. In the meantime, this is home, and I’m grateful.
Until next time, dear friend, may you be content wherever you are, and may you find the silver lining behind every cloud.