Family

My blog has been quiet for a few weeks. Because… we moved.

More on that in a minute.

Where are we in terms of progress on downsizing and finishing the “little house?” Doing nicely I think. The house now has a happily painted exterior, painted interior to include closets (they were gross), a new fridge and a decorated living room. The bookshelves are full and the propane fireplace went on for the first time the other night as the temperature dropped. It’s been a ton of work. Loads. But incredibly satisfying.

Along the way, our family has been eagerly following our progress… sometimes with an eyebrow raised and maybe just a little bit of doubt. But overall, the voices have been encouraging and full of hope for our new life tucked among the farms of Connecticut.

Even my sister’s children are on board.

At a recent sleepover before we moved in, I asked them about seeing the new place.

“Are you remotely interested in this?” I asked the kids, sure that they weren’t, yet secretly hoping they were.

With their affirmation and nods that indeed they were interested, we pulled in to the gravel driveway of the little house and without hesitation, my oldest niece piped up with, “Oh Aunt Jenny, it’s not as bad as I thought.”

Well there you have it. Apparently our shack is not so shocking. Excellent news. 😉

Moving from a 3-bedroom condo to a 660 square feet was… daunting, and making the move over the last three weeks was overwhelming for me at times. When I thought I couldn’t look at another liquor store box, my sister arrived.

We stood together in my cluttered office and she held up one thing after another in quick succession.

“Where does this go?” she asked, holding up a throw pillow.

“Donation,” I replied, and put it on the donation pile.

“Is this sentimental?” she asked, holding up a photograph.

“Yes,” I replied, and put it in the “keep” box.

And on it went.

Two hours later the office was empty, allocated to boxes and bins, ready to move, go to our local donation center, or be thrown out.

Off she went, my savior of the day, and I moved on, ready to take on the next closet.

The point is, we could never have completed this project without our beloved family. Whether it was hearing encouraging words from my in-laws, moving the heavy stuff with my cousin and her kids, painting with my mother and stepdad, or packing with my sister, we could never have completed it all without them.

And whether your family is actually family, or friends that are family, these people are there in a pinch and rescue you not only from the task itself, but from the turmoil that sometimes comes with change.

Betcha you have a few people like this in your life as well… if you have a minute, tell us about them.