Last night I lamented the condition of my living room. In reality it is but a fingerprint of my entire house.
In the home of what is considered a "large family" in today's world my house would never be declared immaculate.
It's liveable, at best.
Last night my husband reminded me that in another month---or two---or three even---this house will be void three of our children.
In one fell-swoop they will leave this nest in tentative ventures into the outside world. None of them are going far but they are leaving these four walls.
Our younger two girls are excitedly picking and repicking their new bedrooms. They are beyond dreamy when we walk down the bedroom aisles at the stores! Both have late-in-the-year birthdays. I see bedroom decorating plans smiling from the walls.
I will finally have an office/studio, something I've always had to share within our sitting room, our bedroom, and the main flux of the household. Never a room of my own. Never! Quiet, introverted me! God planted me in the middle of a busy, crowded life. Now all my writing, D.R.E. work, and our school mess books and papers will be held within the echoes of one room. I've never had this before. I'm a little excited. I think my husband is going to like having all my "paper dump" in one room more than he realizes.
And there are mentions (mere whispers) of remodeling. Hopefully by next year's end. Which means I have a year to start a notebook full of ideas and paint colors and room layouts...
...though reality tells me that it will take a year to do a complete upheaval of this house at large.
It's a little scary, a little overwhelming, a little mind-boggling, a little sad.
Who has three children leave their home at the same time!?! And take furniture with them? And memories? And noise?
All I can say is the children aren't moving very far and this new chapter promises even more family members and more memories and more noise!
Our family is blessed!
Better keep my focus on the present and on getting this house ready to start Book 2 of Cajun Cottage!
Cay, I have only one leaving (and one sister trying not to be too excited about having a room of her own for the first time ever), but this article sounded very much like I could have written it (though not so nicely). I would have to add a photo of the mountain of stuff that we no longer need that is waiting to be catalogued for taxes and taken to Care/Help --it's sitting right inside the door (of course I didn't expect it to be there this long or grow so large).
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine "losing" three at once. You'll have to keep us updated on how it goes! :)