Home for sale

It's not everyday that I get to see the results of a long campaign spread out before me on my coffee table. It's been a week of hard de-cluttering, waiting for the moment I could say to my realtor "yes, go ahead, put it on the market". Her satchel of papers told me I was on task and ready to go. And now the house is, too.

So this morning I put my home up for sale. What a magnificent line in the sand that was.

Three years ago there was no way in hell you could have convinced me to do it. Five years ago it was just too far away from being ready for anyone to be interested. Last year, heck, even earlier this month it was still unapproachable in it's messiness. But after three weeks of grueling work I can say that I would be happy, even proud, to have folks come walking through my door and taking a look at my home.

Watching the movie "Up" the other day with my kids clued me in to the great reality, that this beloved little place of mine is just a house. Putting my name on the jet-inked line this morning made that thought even more concrete. But what has been freeing, even more than watching all that clutter go away, is knowing that I am one step closer to truly grasping some greater realization, and that is that my children, and time, and not my possessions, are what matter in this short and happy life.

I have no idea what awaits me in Idaho. I have no idea what I will do for work, where I will live or how much of an inpact I will be able to make in my children's lives. But one thing is for certain, and that is that I will no longer be ten hours away from them. When those emergencies happen, when those plays are held, when those recitals and ballgames and sleepovers take place, they can have me there as a witness. I will finally, after four years, be able to share their joy in real time.

This house has been a witness to my personal growth, but it's time to take those hard learned lessons to the place where they really can take root and grow.

My home is on the market. For those of you who have been here for supper or barbeques and loved the view, please tell a friend. It's priced way below value. Come and see, especially at sunset. It's a mighty grand little place.

Salud!