One Step Ahead, With an Eye on the Future

We are almost halfway through February. We are past the midpoint of winter. We have endured the shortest day and the added number of sunlight hours is starting to become noticeable.

This is the part of winter I normally find the hardest to endure. I'm tired of it all, ready to sit in a sunbeam and start thinking about spring.

This year however? Our winter is passing and I'm going with the flow of life with relative ease.

I have had a few other winters such as this. Once I was knee deep into a correspondence course; another time I took on collecting memories from Mom's family. This year, is the Winter of Home Renovations.

My thoughts are consumed with the transformation within our walls. I come home from work eager to check on the progress that happened in our absence. As I dust off the surfaces we will need to use the next morning, I marvel at all that is new and improved within these four walls.

I didn't jump into this renovation. I have thought, rethought and talked myself out of doing anything around here for years. I knew once the process was in motion, it would grow into something that would become larger than my weary mind (and budget) could process.

I was right. Our entire main floor (minus the bathroom, for the moment) is involved in this home makeover. I'm spending money like I haven't spent money before. My resources are being taxed to the max. I knew it would become "this". I'm so glad I waited. I wasn't ready before now.

I often think of Mom, as she always seemed to have ideas for her home. Whether it was a sun room, a counter top, flooring, a book shelf or simply painting the bathroom with a little leftover paint she already had on hand ... she seemed to have unlimited ideas of what she would like to update next.

She would often make a comment about it being nice to have new thoughts to think. Whether it was an update within her home, having company or even stepping out to the mall, she knew she needed to stop the cycle of thoughts and would look for a diversion to intercept her thinking.

It is most likely because I remember how Mom enjoyed finding ways to update and improve her home that I feel her so strongly within my thoughts as I walk this particular walk. She would definitely have opinions and I would have been easily swayed by her thoughts. I am finding myself very compliant with others' opinions. I know what I DO want (the rounded corners were a must and there have been some other things I knew without a doubt), but the kitchen sink, baseboards, light fixtures and all the fine tuning? I am glad to have input and opinions.

There have been so many thoughts to think and so many decisions to make. And it has all been easy. So easy. No regrets. Very little over-thinking. I have been preparing myself for this for years.

My thoughts have been consumed with new thoughts. I am envisioning what our new and improved home will look and feel like as the days lengthen and the sun starts shining into these renewed rooms.

Due to the fact that we don't use our three upstairs bedrooms, I have had the doors to these rooms closed for a very long time (to keep the cats and cat hair out of them). When the doors used to be open, the blinds were closed. Presently, all doors and blinds have been removed. A few mornings ago, as the sun was starting to shine I noticed light from down the hallway. I thought I had left a light on. It was the sun starting to rise and beaming through the room I would like to become know as my "sunny room".

Mom designated her "sun room" to me, meaning I should have the contents of that room. I laughed and said I'd just take the whole room. This planted a seed within me. I would love to have a sun room but it is purely impractical at this time. We have a home that has three empty bedrooms within it. The last thing we need is to add another room. Thus, I decided I would like to turn the room formerly known as "Mom's Room" into a "Sunny Room".

Yes, my head has been full of new and improved thoughts. So much lightness, so many fleeting thoughts of Mom and Dad ... so many thoughts that we are through the worst of winter and I have barely even noticed.

Time flies when you are focused on new thoughts, brighter horizons and looking one step beyond where you are right now. Looking too far ahead is too big, too tall and too scary. One step ahead is a very good place to go.