Sometimes the universe mistakes a Gibbs slap for a gentle nudge...

By Lynn
United States
February 21, 2017 11:39pm CST
My husband and I have been hemming and hawing over whether or not we should move, and if so where we should move to. We've been going back and forth about it for several months now, with him chomping at the bit to go and me dragging my feet with arguments like "but we've lived here for 6 years..." and "the kids need a stable household!" And now the decision has been made for us. The property management company sent us a notice to terminate by email this morning. We have until the end of April to find a new place and move. At first I was like with a little thrown in, too. Then I was like . Now, after sitting down and actually getting to discuss options with my husband, I'm all . We've been here for 6 years. We've made a lot of memories, but they're not all good. Some of the negative ones stand out really prominently. This place has a wood-burning stove we've never used, and for some reason the electric heaters were installed in the ceiling, of all places. I guess whoever did that had never learned that hot air rises. The windows are drafty. The bathroom fan has a habit of dripping on people during the winter. The landlord is a cheapskate and prefers to save money instead of buying quality products that will actually last. I've had him replace several outlets since we moved in only to have them wind up loose again within a few months of minimal use. The dishwasher doesn't properly wash dishes the first time around. The refrigerator was used and abused when we moved in, so the rails fall off the door if you don't open it the right way. And then there's the clutter that we've accumulated... About the only real positives that I can think of right now aren't even specific to the property: we're very close to a creek that the kids like to play in and explore when it's dry, and every year we have a breeding pair of great horned owls who hang out in the trees on our street. I'm going to really miss them when we move. Aside from that, it's really going to be good riddance to the baggage this place carries with it. My husband already found a listing for a place we want to look at. It's bigger, brighter, and while I'm not entirely convinced that white cabinets are the best option with small children, I contacted the management company and asked if we can take a look at it. I guess the moral of the story is that situations really aren't inherently good or bad. They just are. It's our perceptions that make us see the situations we face as good or bad.
4 people like this
5 responses
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
2 Mar 17
Oh I am thinking that you needed a push to decide whether to move or not and now you have it - though it does seem rather short notice to have to vacate the property
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
2 Mar 17
@owlandbutterfly I pay monthly rent too, with a three months deposit but my landlord must give me six months notice. I would be shattered if he did as I adore this place and would be so stressed out if I had to find somewhere else We have a saying here: you can't open a new door until you have closed the previous one. I have a feeling that you will find somewhere really special soon and be so much happier once you have moved.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Mar 17
It's actually more than twice the amount legally required by law in my state. We've been month-to-month renters for years, and that doesn't offer the same sort of protection for tenants that being in a lease agreement with a set term does. We really did need the push to get out of here. There's so much we don't like about it, but I've gotten comfortable being stuck in this rut and it was too easy to drag my feet when it came to making the decision myself.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
22 Feb 17
That's good to hear. I hope you find a new place where you can all be better. Everyone deserve to have a house where they can really relax and have good memories. God bless
2 people like this
• United States
22 Feb 17
Thanks! I'm really feeling positive about the place I mentioned. It won't be ready until the end of March, but that will probably be perfect for us. Hope you're having a great day!
1 person likes this
@much2say (56049)
• Los Angeles, California
2 Mar 17
I guess that is life . . . it is what it is, no matter what our take on it is. Sometimes it is both good and bad - the important part is where you take it from there. I say whatever we can do to improve our family life is always a good thing. And yah, sometimes the "Universe" will provide signs or nudges to help us move along - a meant-to-be kinda thing.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137753)
• India
22 Feb 17
This reminds me of the time when we had to sell our flat before moving how customers pointed out all the bed points of our flat. Till then we thought it was the best place on earth (lol)
1 person likes this
@sishy7 (27167)
• Australia
28 Feb 17
I like your take of situations... I'm sure the move will be good for everyone involved!
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Mar 17
It's one of the few things I took away from my 7th grade math class. My teacher was Mr. Dean, and one day he told us a parable about a Chinese father whose son broke his leg. Everyone else around expressed their condolences, but the father's response was along the lines of, "This is neither good nor bad; it just is." Shortly afterwards the young men of the village were drafted by the army, except for the young man who had broken his leg. I really like that one because it highlights the relative natures of good and bad. Without bad, we have no measure of what's good, and vice versa. And it generally all balances out somehow.
BBCWhen we've lost much, or even nearly everything, sometimes all we can choose is our attitude in the face of trials. For the third time now, someone has told me the parable of a Chinese farmer from 2,000 years ago....
1 person likes this
@sishy7 (27167)
• Australia
3 Mar 17
@owlandbutterfly Oh, I like it even more now - take everything as simply what happens in life and we'll be alright... I also believe everything comes to a balance naturally - too much of anything is never good, even too much of something that most would consider 'good' like money, water, etc.
1 person likes this