suddenlysinglewomen

Some wisdom is ageless. But this is REALLY far back.

“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.”

• Plato

After 13 1/2 years in this house that I built “during and post” divorce, I’m putting it on the market.

Scary.

The last time I had to list a house, pack up and organize a move – I was in the throes of divorce. Not the best of times. What to take? What to sell? What to donate? What will fit? Never thought I’d be doing it again, yet . . .

So when I saw this today in a book I’d been pouring over, about downsizing (thanks Marla!) it just seemed appropriate. I’m doing my best to re-purpose things. I’m donating things, I’m selling things. I’ve gotten prolific on eBay. I’ve entered the worlds of Poshmark and The RealReal.

I’m learning that what’s valuable in my eyes is not necessarily valuable at all. And I’m learning that the “it” thing is a white kitchen. Mine, of course, is stained wood in the shade of walnut.

Lucky for me I have neutral walls already but seriously? How much to change to make it the house that sells vs. the house that doesn’t? It’s a hot market in our city right now. Total epic fail last week on the power grid and water supply aside, Houston is a popular place to move to right now. And those interest rates? SCORE!

Letting go is hard. Combing through 40 years of photo albums, family memories, baby books that your kids do NOT want? Wow. Talk about a walk down memory lane. But I did it. Took a week, pulling out 10-15 photos only from each album that holds hundreds? Tough. Walking them out to the trash can? Even tougher.

My sons tell me that cleaning out is freeing. I’ll feel a lighter load. What I really felt was “Why? Why was my marriage and happily ever after the one that ended?” Why am I once again listing a house, and packing up ALL BY MYSELF?

Take a breath . . . because “The greatest wealth is to live content with little.” Guess Plato knew a thing or two . . .

“We leave behind a bit of ourselves wherever we have been.”

• Edmond Haraucourt

Though I’m sure this was intended for 2-legged humans, I think it also applies to our four legged friends.

My eldest son had to put his dog down last week. He grew up in a family that had a dog/s, but they were the “family” dogs, never one that was just his. A very hard decision and one he sought counsel on. He’s never been through that before.

She had been one of my fosters, through my work with rescue, and he’d met her when she’d been returned to me after a failed adoption.

To be honest, when I first took her to the “approved” adopter’s home for a visit, I didn’t feel comfortable about it. They just didn’t seem a fit? But I had not done the background reference check, I had not done the “pre approval” home visit – I was just the foster.

After a week, they called me to come get her, “wasn’t working out” they said.

It was Christmas time, my family was all descending upon me for the holidays. My Mom was on a walker, I already had one large German Shepherd female of my own, another failed adoption had just come back to me several days earlier and now this one? Three large GSDs and a house full of family?

Boy was I gonna be in trouble . . .

Then quite the opposite happened. My son arrives, the next morning as he comes out of his bedroom, the foster is sitting there patiently outside the door waiting for him. It was love at first “pet”. He hadn’t come home planning to adopt a dog, especially one as large as this one, or that sheds quite so much.

But love is love.

He wrote the most amazing tribute to her on Facebook. He lost her 9 years to the day of her arrival at his home when I flew with her out there. She left paw prints on all our hearts. She was a beloved pet. She has left a little bit of herself behind (and undoubtedly they’ll be finding dog hair for a while) and we’re all the better for it.

“We leave behind a bit of ourselves wherever we have been.”

Run free sweet girl . . .

This was a share to me from Facebook and it is:

A great reminder:

At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA.

At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.

At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer.

At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.

At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.

At age 28, Wayne Coyne (from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook.

At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.

At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.

At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs.

Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51.

Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40.

Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40.

Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 42.

Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46.

Morgan Freeman landed his first MAJOR movie role at age 52.

Kathryn Bigelow only reached international success when she made The Hurt Locker at age 57.

Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76.

Louise Bourgeois didn’t become a famous artist until she was 78.

Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure because you haven’t found fame and fortune by the age of 21.

Hell, it’s okay if you don’t even know what your dream is yet. Even if you’re flipping burgers, waiting tables or answering phones today, you never know where you’ll end up tomorrow.

Never tell yourself you’re too old to make it.

Never tell yourself you missed your chance.

Never tell yourself that you aren’t good enough.

You can do it.

Whatever it is that sets your soul on fire.

What a crazy beginning to the year. And we thought we just had to worry about a pandemic.

Is it just me? Or does the world seem to have gone completely sideways?

Remember when you used to hear, “Can’t we all just get along?”

Obviously not. No one truly wants to. I worry for our world. And I pray for it’s citizens.

Wishing you all, and myself . . . some peace.

As we enter the busy and crazy holiday season, we can be pulled in so many different directions. Newsflash: people can be VERY selfish and demanding.

This time – take care of yourself. This time – put your needs first. It’s OK. After the year we’ve had, you deserve it. Let’s all be healthier together!