Why is it that we sometimes make changes only when we are forced to, even when change in and of itself can be so cathartic and life-affirming?
When I was small, I remember seeing the satisfaction and delight my mom took when simply cleaning out a drawer or moving some furniture around and then standing back and admiring her work. To her, it was if that space were new again, reward enough for her efforts.
As Mom got older, however, she began to savor a degree of sameness -- as if changing the location of something might change her memory of a specific time or event. I realize that this is why professional organizers, designers or stagers are brought in to make the changes people hesitate to make. Owners can fall into a rut, forgetting that change and a little risk-taking is what once made their lives interesting, fun and adventurous. And just like HGTV makeover reality shows -- where people return home to the 'reveal' of the space that used to be cluttered or inefficiently arranged-- once they see what was done, they face it as if they are receiving a new lease on life. This is despite the revelation that -- just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz -- they had the power to make those changes all long.
I can relate to Mom's joy in making small changes as we prepare to move back into our home following repairs from a flooding disaster several months ago. Living comfortably at the time in a house we purchased only four years ago, I can see now that my spouse and I had fallen into somewhat of a rut. After the first year there, the excitement of the move-in died down and I ceased talking about 'honey-do' projects or even the desire to take them on myself. We unwittingly stopped planning projects to update the place, citing times off in the future (when we win the Lotto?) to address dated tile, wall colors we disliked, cabinets that either needed replacing or painting, locations for belongings and the repurposing of areas that were best used differently once things were put away "temporarily." We figured, of course, that we'd get to all of this later. But once a daily rhythm kicked in, these plans somehow became fleeting thoughts instead of short trips to Home Depot.
Okay, so real estate isn't worth what it once was, and you figure, "why pour money into a declining asset?" I can tell you why. It's HOME. It's where you wake up each morning. And no matter what small changes you make, it can only benefit you in the long run to take care of your surroundings. Making your place your version of beautiful can feed your soul, even if it lightens your wallet a little bit -- from revamping a cabinet space and putting in new shelf liner to throwing out things you haven't used in years to heading to Ikea for attractive storage bins.
As I plan our 're-move-in', my head is already full of ideas on how differently I will arrange things. The closer the move gets, the more giddy I become. Having seen how recent small decisions on our part completely changed ambience of our living space during the repairs, I am bolstered by what else we can do once we are living there again. Slowly but surely, yellowing honey oak cabinets will get sanded and painted white to match trim all over the house (I am going to STOP wishing we had enough money for all new cabinets..). An old desk already got 'Craigslisted' to make room for a new, more contemporary one that will permit me to gaze out windows in my home office at a gorgeous Bird of Paradise plant that seems to have gone on steroids lately. Pieces of furniture that cluttered small spaces will be sold, leaving larger expanses of new hardwood and carpet for us to appreciate. Dated bathroom fixtures are being replaced and tract home bathroom mirrors have been removed, making way for elegant, framed ones instead.
So I ask again...why does it sometimes take fate to play a hand in getting us off our collective 'keisters' when the power to do this has been ours all along? I dunno. That's for you to ponder.
But no matter. The fact that it can still happen to me means I am still eminently capable of change and that, my dears, makes me feel young again.
Comments