Dodged

Handyman's Special!

I'm not one of those people who believe that everything happens for a reason, but I am keenly aware of what has been recently defined as "teachable moments" - situations for which one might pause and, say, remind baby Becca that just because Mucilage sounds like it should come from one's nose it does not, in fact, wish to be placed there. There are countless situations in daily life where I have been reminded to lift my feet slightly higher when navigating uneven sidewalks - thanks, twisted ankle! - or to truly trust my sense of smell when choosing which subway car to enter.

For too many of us, when we make the right decision we call it smarts, but when life hands us lemons we shrug it off to fate - absolving us of guilt and taking the credit as necessary.

In the course of the last 24 hours, we were given by the seller an ultimatum to buy a house, and due to the fact that our existing home hadn't closed yet, decided to pass on the deal we had been so hot for the past two weeks.  Then, in a quick twist, we were given a closing date on our house. Should we reconsider?  What would Suze do?

We passed.  I seriously think we dodged a bullet on that house that was at the top of our range and better suited for a middle manager at Goldman Sachs than two gay architects with Kylie on the brain.  Not because we felt it was a sign, but because we knew that house was a stretch for us accompanied by a lot of pressure to buy it quickly.  Having the brakes put on us made us reconsider - the very definition of a teachable moment.

And when it rains - or snows as it may tonight ...we found a new, much better house.  More affordable, more us, and with a strange and interesting connection to the seller.  Benji, and maybe his future sibling, has a lifetime to adjust to whatever we choose. We'll make the right choice for us - and twist our own fate.