We're getting kicked out of the nest 🐦
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On Wednesday morning, I received the following email from our landlady.
I was approached the other day and asked if I would like to sell the house. I’ve been thinking on it and would be interested in selling for the right price, but wanted to reach out to you first.
Immediately I plunged into a series of emotions, similar to the five stages of grief. First, denial: she's not serious, she's just being impulsive. Then, anger: how could she do this to us, especially so soon after Hurricane Florence?! Bargaining: maybe she'll sell it to us for a really god deal. After all, we've been great tenants for five years! Depression: but I don't WANT to move right now. We had a PLAN. This ruins EVERYTHING. WHY why WHYYY.
Currently, I'm on the verge of acceptance and something bordering excitement. The timing isn't perfect, but maybe that's okay. Despite the fact that I ranted about just a few weeks ago, I was more or less comfortable in our rental, begrudgingly okay with putting off home ownership for a few more years. Our rent is affordable, our house is cozy, I'm the chair of my neighborhood precinct, and we're still paying off a zillion student loans. There were plenty of reasons to stay put, to avoid that next big, expensive step.
As soon as I read that email, however, all those reasons seemed a bit flimsy. Owning is a better investment than renting, our house will never have a second bathroom or a good place for a dining room table, chairing my precinct is a lot of unglamorous work, and our student loans will haunt us until the day we die. Maybe we confused comfort with convenience, caution with cowardice. Maybe we have a history of putting things off indefinitely, just because. We waited a whole decade to get married - how long would we wait to buy a house? Until retirement? (That was a joke - we're never going to be able to retire!)
Maybe our landlady is doing us a favor. Maybe she's not throwing our lives into chaos, but pushing us out of the nest and forcing us to spread our wings. Maybe buying a house only seems impossible, and the dream is closer to reality than we think. There's only one way to find out.
Wish us luck! 💛
Bad News First
"Everything is Not Going to be Okay": How to Live with Constant Reminders that the Earth is in Trouble, Washington Post. "Hold the problem in your mind. Freak out, but don’t put it down. Give it a quarter-turn. See it like a scientist, and as a poet. As a descendant. As an ancestor." 🌎
The Instagram Trap: Social Influence is Helping Women Build Brands—As Long as They Follow the Rules, Fast Company. "If a decade ago the media was fixated on male startup founders in hoodies and flip-flops, today it’s reveling in images of GirlBoss Rallies, Bumble Bizz networking events, and female coworking spaces such as the Wing, where the photo ops are abundant. As a result, female entrepreneurs—even those with just a few thousand followers—are finding their voices amplified." 📣
The Radical Act of Embracing Your Own Mediocrity, Man Repeller. It's been a long week, so let's end it with this delightfully charming link. 💃
🌱 Plant of the Week 🌱
In honor of a stressful couple of days, here's a cute little jade plant I picked up a few weeks ago at the Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale. This guy lives on my desk at home, which means I often stare at him as I'm writing novels and newsletters and articles. Traditionally, this plant is thought to symbolize growth and renewal, as well as financial wellness. Note to jade: I'll take all the help I can get in that department!
A Tiny Challenge
Abandon your plans, have no expectations, and set zero goals. This might be my hardest challenge yet, but I believe in me. I believe in you, too. Let me know how it goes.
See you next Sunday! 💌
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