Bittersweet

Today was the final closing for the sale of our condo in Deerfield.  It was quite bittersweet in more ways than one.   I hope with time the pain of the losing financial investment will fade and only the good memories will remain.  Of those, there are many.  This was our first home and we put in our sweat equity and lots of cash too, and lost it all and then some.  We lived in this place when we got engaged, married and brought both our babies home from the hospital here.  It was our home for almost 9 years and we loved it there. 

The closing was this afternoon and it still doesn't feel quite real.  I feel lighter somehow,  happy and sad.  And also really thankful that I never (I hope) have to talk to anyone on the board or with the management company for the our association.  At every turn they thwarted our efforts to sell and rent our property and continually enacted more restrictions to make the property less attractive to potential buyers or investors. 

All that being said, I think I will sleep soundly tonight. 

Family pic from our last visit last week.

Mother's Day Reflection

I have a little quiet time today. Layla is napping, Jason is at baseball and I should study. But I wanted to write a few words, and not just about the terrible scheduling of Jason's baseball league.

This year has been a big one for our family. Our lives have been impacted by Layla's arrival in ways that we could not imagine 12 short months ago. She has brought so much joy and love and laughter to us. Being a mom is an amazing and rewarding experience, filled with hope and excitement, but also fear. Fear of not being a good enough mom, fear of something bad happening, fear of failing at providing enough for my daughter and my husband.

Most days I think I am succeeding at my most important responsibilities. Layla is thriving. She is a happy, easy-going girl, full of wonder and, most importantly, healthy as a horse. My husband is working incredibly hard to provide for our family and I try every day to be a supportive wife, partner and friend.

The events of our professional lives have changed our every day. We don't have the luxuries that we once enjoyed, but I find that I don't miss them all that much. We have more than enough. Having the latest and greatest of everything was never that important to me. I was never fashion forward or in need of pampering - massages still creep me out. Would it be nice to splurge? Yes, of course, but that is not the focus of my day.

This year has only emphasized our real priorities. It has made us more loving, more spiritual, and more hopeful. Our family has been supportive and giving and we are endlessly grateful for the good fortune of having them in our lives. We have realized the value of our true friends, and the love they have shown us and our daughter. Personally, I owe a debt of gratitude to my Mom for providing a wonderful example of what a mother can and should be: sweet and tough, hardworking, classy, and always loving. Being a mom is never an easy balance, never an easy day. Thanks Mom, Happy Mother's Day!

To all the Mom's out there: Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy your life, be kind to each other (I think we are all really just trying to do our best) and know that every day is Mother's Day when you are blessed with happy, healthy children.