So, I’ve been hinting at a rough couple of weeks. I had hoped to reach today with good news to share. I can’t go into specifics for legal reasons, but I can tell you that today was supposed to be the closing on my old house — it would have been officially sold, and we would finally be free to fully start our life in Washington. I waited three months from the time my buyers made their offer, and I was really looking forward to celebrating this milestone.
After a long year of unemployment for my husband, him starting a great new job this January, the stress of preparing our house for the market, hunting for a new home, and all the logistics of moving to Washington, I was ready to feel settled. Owning a home in one state while living in another has been a constant strain. I was ready to breathe a deep sigh of relief and believe our move was finally complete.
But life doesn’t always go as planned. Despite our work, prayers, and positive outlook, things can go very wrong. People have free will, and sometimes others make choices that negatively affect those around them. Today I am not celebrating; I am sad, bewildered, and exhausted.
After accepting the offer three months ago and patiently waiting through a long closing period — losing a backup offer in the meantime — the buyers decided two days ago that they no longer wanted to buy and walked away. They left us to deal with the fallout. I received their official cancellation paperwork yesterday, just a day before the scheduled closing.
Today should have been entirely different. It makes me physically ill to consider the consequences and what this could mean for us. We were poised to buy our new house next week; many of our plans and those of others depended on this sale.
I feel angry, frustrated, disappointed, and in disbelief that I have to start over. We emptied the old house so the new owners could move in today. Now I must re-stage the house and restart the selling process.
Life isn’t always fair. It doesn’t always make sense. It isn’t always easy or beautiful. Even so, I choose to trust that God watches over us and works things together for good — even rotten things. I need to trust and wait.
So many people are hurting far more than I am; my situation feels small in comparison, and for that I am grateful.
I kind of felt like Flat Stanley this week,
trying to keep smiling despite that tire looming over my head!
My son took this photo. Poor Flat Stanley!
The week wasn’t beautiful, but despite everything, I pushed through the fog of disappointment and found something to celebrate. A wonderful community came together to create something lovely from what we had. Sometimes that’s all we can do — make beauty from what is available.
Thank you for joining in and making the procrastinator party a smashing success. I am amazed by your projects — you are a talented group. If you haven’t yet explored the links (I’m still working through them), there’s a lot of inspiration waiting for you.
{THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!} In fact, let’s give away a prize right now. I have a copy of DECORATING IS FUN by Dorothy Draper, a classic that’s been recently reprinted. Party participants will receive an extra entry, but anyone may enter to win by leaving a comment. One winner will be chosen at random on Sunday the 17th at 9 PM PST.