Recently, my family and I packed our entire lives onto a truck, ready for our second cross-country move in three years. It was a crazy, exciting, whirlwind of an experience and I have loved every single second of it. (Well, every second except the 52 hours in a car, alone, with all three of my children. But I'm scratching that from the record, as well as from my memory entirely. Traumatic much?) Now that I've had a little time to settle into my new life and our new home, I marvel (literally) every day at all of the simple things that I have waited SO long for. Simple, every day pleasures, that I know for certain many other people take for granted.
When we started talking to someone about trying to find a rental, she had many questions as to what our preferences were. My answer? A dishwasher and a fenced in yard. Her response? That's it? She was surprised that it was that simple for us, that we didn't have more necessary qualifications in our future home. Those two things were all I knew I needed, knew I HAD to have for my future sanity.
Why was it so simple?
Oh people, if you only knew...
Who here lives in a home that was built before 1910?
Is there any one raising their hand? Doubtful. I've lived the past 3 1/2 years in houses that were each built in 1900 or earlier. Historical homes, in historical neighborhoods, with ALL of the issues that you can imagine. I'm talking bugs, mold, plumbing problems, heating issues, a/c issues, water issues...ISSUES! Were they beautiful? Yes. Were the neighborhoods to die for? Absolutely. Some things though, my friends, are just not worth the headache.
Let's talk counter space...
I bet most of you have plenty, right? You can cut vegetables on a cutting board, put your appliances out , have somewhere to put your drying dishes? You lucky sons of guns. I've somehow managed to cook and clean with about two feet of counter space. And I'm probably being generous with that size...
How about a dishwasher?
You have one, don't you? Of course you do! Who nowadays doesn't? Oh yeah! ME! (Until now of course, thank the stars) I cook...a lot! We are talking cooking 2-3 meals a day for a family of five. Do you have any idea what that looks like on a daily basis when you are expected to wash them BY HAND?! It's just cruel I tell you! Cruel!
What about laundry?
Yours is on the same floor as your living space, isn't it? Pshhhh! How about sharing your washer and dryer with two other tenants, while renting the second floor apartment in a three floor home? Or having to jaunt down into a dingy basement, over rickety stairs, going as fast as you can because your children are on the second floor playing? Ugh.
Speaking of second and third stories...
I bet your house is one level. I bet you don't have to lug groceries, bags, snacks, toys, cups, vacuum cleaners, small children and any other manner of things up and down and up and down and UP AND DOWN, a million times a day! It was maddening, folks. Seriously, I cannot even explain the horrible-ness of it.
Now for the big one...
Who here has a fenced in yard? Or even a patio? Until two weeks ago, all of you people would make me jealous enough for my head to explode. My children and I at one point, had never even had so much as a garage to set up shop in. Our last home was the first time we ever had a yard but....no fence! So our outdoor experience (or mine) was exhausting. My children were constantly wandering into the neighbors yard, running down the driveway towards the street, having neighbors interrupt an activity that (up until that point) was going smoothly. Every trip outside was never truly enjoyed as the outdoors with children should be.
At the end of every day, I was (and am) eternally grateful that I even have a home. One that is safe, full of love and filled with happiness. I dealt without all of those extras, because I know so many others go without a lot more. That's not to say though, that our new home hasn't made me a better mother already.
A mother who can simply press a button and have those extra 20-30 minutes of dishwashing, to spend with her children.
A mother who can cook her meals while being able to see and hear where her children are at all times.
A mother who can do her laundry while watching her children eat lunch at the table.
A mother whose children have so much open space to play and be free, they don't even notice the TV.
A mother who can sit in the yard and enjoy playing without her boys listening to her nag them to death about staying in their yard and not running towards the street.
A mother who is infinitely less stressed and can finally feel as though she has freedom within her home.
So maybe you don't have all of the material things you yearn for. Maybe your furniture needs replacing. Maybe you won't ever have that second bathroom you think you so greatly need. Those things are so tiny in the bigger picture because I mean, come on, you have counter space! ;)
So here's to the little things, may you recognize how lucky you are to have them <3
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