The End is Near

The end of our Renovation Project is nigh. The living room is awaiting several final touches and I haven't had a chance to do any of the "fun" shopping to accessorize all that has been updated. But the hard work is behind us. Well, it would be behind us if I didn't have a perfectionist in my midst.

My son is not happy with the flooring in one of the rooms. One thing went awry as he completed the room and it had a domino effect which was not visible to the naked eye. But my son saw it. He is in demo mode at the moment.

If you are going to do something, do it right.

I can hear Mom in my son's words. I can feel Dad in his actions. I have no idea what I may have done to deserve it, but I have raised a human being who not only encapsulates parts of Mom and Dad I will never forget, but he professes his feelings towards others in his actions.

Our family is not prone to professing our love in words, hugs and all the ways "love" is portrayed in the world around us.

There is a quiet respect among us. We listen. We care. We support and encourage. These are traits I grew up with. They are an integral part of the relationship I have with my siblings. To see this trickle down and "infect" my own little family of three? It is a gift beyond words.

This project had the potential to drive a wedge into all that is good between us. Had any one of us felt taken advantage of, unappreciated and unsupported this would have fell to pieces long before the project's completion.

I was fearful I had laid too much on my son's shoulders. I vocalized my concerns, offered him exit or assistance strategies but he reassured me this was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The yin and the yang of it all. What was lent has been repaid with interest. What was once a loan became an investment. An investment which accrued benefits which far exceeded my wildest dreams.

Tomorrow is The Big Reveal. My globetrotting son returns from Hawaii tomorrow afternoon and has requested a pick-up at the airport. We will have a Family Supper.

We will listen. We will care. We will support and encourage. My children are an investment which have accrued benefits which have far exceeded my wildest dreams. I am grateful.