Get Still

The day has finally arrived in the Smith home for…duh, duh, duh,…getting the basement finished!

     Now mind you, it happens to be a small space. But a space is a space, and when you throw some walls up and flooring down, that’s a whole other place for a bunch of teens and tweens to go hog wild.

     I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time and I’m thrilled the day has finally arrived. As with any home improvement however, there is some trepidation.

     We spent the last two weekends clearing things out in preparation for the work to be done. Now, you know I’m a girl who loves to clean out, and at least four times a year, I have a mountain of boxes and bags ready to be passed on.

     To my shock, I was still able to eliminate a lot more stuff, and while I’m continuing to ride that high, I’ve learned that I still have a lot of crap. Which leads me to this very real predicament when trying to reconcile the things we own with small spaces. 

     With any home improvement, we want to make things more aesthetically pleasing, especially a space that will be used for gathering. The struggle appears when function is sometimes eliminated in favor of aesthetics, and finding the balance is key. It’s not always easy.

     The kids gather down there now, amidst hanging laundry, pantry shelves full of food, our stash of thermal carriers…you get the drift. There’s nothing more embarrassing than having a bunch of teens privy to your skivvies if they happen to be hanging out to dry. I’ll be glad when I have a real laundry room. However, I need to be able to create a space that will look good, still provide me with a place for storing the BJ’s overflow, and give a home to all those random items that are a pain in the ass to store but are very much necessary anyway.

         So as I awake this morning and I see the message from the contractor that says, “I’m coming today,” my feelings are a mixed bag of nuts.

     “Yay! Another pretty space to add to my home!”

     “Crap! Can I really pull off the balance between function and aesthetics?”

      So I did what I always do when the nerves take over. I got still, did some breathing and busted out my journal. In the midst of it all, that little voice that I sometimes overlook piped up, and I heard it!

“There is always a way.”

     Hmmm, but can I do it? There is always a way.

     Will I find the balance? There is always a way.

     What if I make a poor choice and screw things up? Well then you will rectify your mistake, learn, or figure out a way to live with it. There is always a way.

     What if I don’t have enough storage? You will find another place for your things or move them along. There is always a way.

     This will be my mantra over the next week or so, and hopefully it will stick around and serve me longer. When we get still, our gut, or spirit, always seems to have the best advice, but we need to get quiet enough to listen.

     I’m sure this process will have a bump or two, as renovations are never easy. I’m currently struggling with which floor color to choose and will probably agonize over it until the last minute. But people, why the hell do we let our stress get to us!? If I text you, freaking out about the process, please remind me to breathe. There is always a way.