"Hope" is the thing with feathers --/ That perches in the soul --/ And sings the tunes without the words --/ And never stops --at all --.
Emily Dickinson
It has been a long year, a very long year from the moment we first made the decision to move to this point in time. I have lived as I never thought I would ever live. If I had known then that I would be living the way I am now, I do not think I would have taken the risk that I did. I am glad that I did not know. To say that this has been stressful would be a gross understatement. Still, I hung on to that hope dangling by a string, for that was all I could do, hang on tight while the winds whipped furiously around me.
An offer has been made on our house. Finally, a contract has been signed. From the sounds of things this new family will fit well into our old neighborhood. They are coming up from Georgia. Southerners in Yankee land. I like that. My favorite aunt is a Georgian. I will not get the joy of hearing their accents! No wait, I take that back, when we return back east some day we will meet them. We have close ties with our friends across the street. The ones who have been a godsend to us through all of this. They will pounce upon the new family with the same speed they pounced upon us to make them feel welcome and a part of the community. *grins* It's their nature.
The new family is very positive. In that I mean that when others looked at our home, or made offers in the past, they picked it to pieces, looking for the faults of living there, always dwelling on the faults, looking at it as a building. This family was different. They came in and saw all the positives, the neighborhood ideal for kids, the potential of the house, the beauty that the garden had been and would be again with attention. They looked through the property. They saw it as a home not a building. They found our home via internet and fell in love with my screaming blue house, overgrown garden from neglect and all.
The husband flew up with his daughter just to look at it, despite a rainy day, no electricity, etc. etc. They have two kids slightly younger than ours. Our realtor has said that when she talks to them it is like talking to us, that we are very similar. I am glad. We wanted a nice family to move into our old neighborhood, the neighbors are the nicest and warmest I have ever known. We wanted someone who would enrich the neighborhood as we had done. I think they will fit wonderfully into this role. They have the "attitude". I am pleased. I feel good about this. I hope that we find that again, here in our new home when we finally leave this limbo.
Soon... I feel it tickling my soul. Soon our journey here will be starting up again after a long pause at the station...
update:
My old friend and neighbor did indeed pounce! *laughs* She brought over lemonade and cookies for the daughter. She likes the father and child already.
"She is as sweet as Heather but with a southern accent. She called me Ma'am."
I feel REALLY good about this.