Hey folks,
Its been a while since I’ve personally had the opportunity to share with you some of our more memorable moments and hectic highlights which we’ve experienced together as a family. Thinking back over the past 7-8 months truly makes my head spin, ranging from awe-inspiring beauty to actions that scrape the depths of human ugliness.
To say that the past several months have been like a tumultuous roller-coaster ride of emotion, would be an understatement. Experiencing the pure joy of spending precious developmental moments with our girls, to lamenting the cold, hard truths that being a person of color in this country can be a daily struggle – ever-present and not always so subtle or understated.
This is the type of toil that takes a heavy toll on your physical, mental, and emotional well being leaving little room for things outside of the necessary – we’ve been living in the necessary, with little extra energy to spare on the incidentals.
I’m sure you’ve also experienced your fair share of ups and downs, who hasn’t in turbulent 2020? The year which began with the death of Kobe Bryant, confronting social unrest over the murder of George Floyd and others by the police, all under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic which requires both personally and professionally doing more with less. So many learnings of how less can really be more, but that’s a whole other post!
Our peaks and valleys have been marked by transition – a beautiful realization of a dream that had been temporarily deferred, developing a “new normal” during this time of coronavirus, making meaningful connections of the human spirit that supersedes that which seeks to divide us, striving to maintain peace in our home while chaos rages in the street, all while cherishing the many silver linings found during a time of uncertainty and confusion. For chaos is a time of unstructured energy trying to find a new structure, a new form.
Yet during this time of disruption, reorganization, and external unrest, there is still space for growth, peace, and centering, if one seeks it. So, in an effort to do just this, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to document our walk through these wild and crazy times. But to do so, I’ll need to go back, waaaay back to the beginning of last holiday season…when “we did a thing.”
We Did a Thing
It was late September 2019, and we had a decision to make.
What does home mean to you?
For me, home is a secure and comfortable place filled with light, laughter, and love. It is a place of authenticity and acceptance. A place where you can let your head down and put your feet up. A house is nothing more than a structure usually built of wood or brick, but inside it’s a place where memories are made, dreams are shared, and emotional and mental care is provided. No matter where you’ve been or where you’re planning to go, the old adage still reigns supreme – Home is, and always will be, where the heart is.
Over the last couple of years, we’d been actively contemplating the prospect of purchasing a new home. Before you can hang your wreath on the front door of your new abode, there are several factors that require consideration before you grab a pen and sign on the dotted line: timing, affordability, proximity, and of course, location, location, location!
Here are some of the ingredients that made up our wish list
- A house in a safe and comfortable environment that allowed us to raise our girls in peace.
- Enough outdoor space for them to roam.
- A home built with a few unique and distinctive qualities.
- A house that’s close to school and work.
- A space that permitted the possibility of one day adopting a dog into the family.
The hunt was on!
Tapping into our deep reserves of patience, persistence, perseverance, and other valorous virtues, we diligently whittled down our pursuit to 3 homes, each with their own fructose flavor and distinctive design.
House Number 1: Magnolia Magic – (as described by the realtor) A fully renovated home on a retreat of 1.5 acres. Multiple decks and oversized back porch overlooking wooded area. All bedrooms vaulted, large, and on the same floor.
House Number 2: The Tree House – (as described by the realtor) A hillside gem with gorgeous mountain views from every room. 2.3 private acres with tons of light. Vast porch with envious views. Tucked away in a small, quiet, established neighborhood.
House Number 3: Rocky Road – (As described by the realtor) An expansive home on 2.3 acres. Ridiculously large vaulted family room with floor to ceiling windows. Oversized everything, in a private deeply wooded highly sought after area.
Which one would you choose? Decisions, Decisions!
To Be Continued…
Ready to Bloom, by Rachael Boston //
Rachael I enjoyed reading your post. You speak for most of us on the uncertainties we’ve experienced so far in 2020, what most folks probably believed would be a stellar year of positive change and prosperity! But alas, we are making the best of the change we’ve been dished. It was nice seeing the 3 choices since I didn’t know about the other two. I, of course, know which one was chosen but would love to have seen the other two too! Be safe (I find myself saying that quite often to folks these days).
Thank you for reading!