Attitude of Gratitude

I am blessed. I don’t always remember this, but I am. We all are. The biggest challenge in moving through our days is remembering all the gifts that are contained in what Mary Oliver calls our “one wild and precious life.”

This transition from apartment dweller to homeowner has been challenging because, quite simply, I am not used to not knowing things. Is the connection gas or electric? What’s the rough in? You can’t do X because it’s an exterior wall. You can do Y because it’s between the joists … it’s mind-boggling.

That floor job I raved about in an earlier post? It wasn’t close to being done. How did I find out? From the parade of other workers who walked through the house and asked when the floors would be finished. I only admitted to the first person that I thought that they were done. The floor guy I raved about? He stopped returning my calls and e-mails. When I finally did get a hold of him, he said, “You thought they looked good.” Indeed, I did. But they weren’t done — and he let me think they were.

This renovation has brought up every fear I have about being taken advantage of. It is hard to rely on strangers to give good advice. (And no matter how hard I try to teach myself, there is only so much I can google). Fortunately, I have incredible people to help me navigate this terrain. When I called my dear friend and former landlord Tony in a panic about the half-done floors, he assured me he’d help. True to form, he has.

Tony has worked on upward of 50 homes, but still remembers how hard the first one was: “I remember how freaked out I was when we bought our first home and how overwhelming it was. I can still see the old basement and the bad foundation and feel the sense of dread. Now I know that houses are actually really tough — they hold together well, especially the older ones like yours … Before you know it you will be all moved in and settled, and sooner than you think … you will be delighted by the surprises that pop up and open all around you.”