a bit of gratitude // day 1

Dear Current Rental,

When we first met, I admit, I didn't see your charm. Your modest cement porch, unassuming rail thin door with the 1-inch gap, and plain white wash interiors failed to strike a chord with me. It was as if I expected you to speak to me through your thin walls and postage stamp windows, but all I heard was silence. I lamented your lack of grandeur, the absence of a space for a kitchen table, and the necessity of relegating my boys to the basement. Each flaw seemed to amplify my discontent, making it hard to see anything but a space mismatched to my dreams.

Yet, as time wove its thread through our days, something unexpected happened. Slowly, you became a canvas for our lives, a repository for memories both big and small. The laughter from a bustling 7th birthday bash, forty people slammed in your corners, still echoes. The discomfort of sitting on your uninsulated floors during winter family game nights has somehow morphed into nostalgia. Your walls have witnessed the comings and goings of our relatives, each visit leaving an indelible mark.

I've come to realize that my initial resistance was a veil, one that has been lifted to reveal the true essence of what makes a house a home. It's not the grandeur of the space, but the life that fills it. You, with your unassuming charm, have taught me to find joy in the mundane, to appreciate the coziness of shared tight somewhat awkward spaces, and to embrace the beauty of imperfection.

So, thank you, dear home, for being the unexpected gift I didn't know I needed these last two years. Thank you for anchoring us to the land that first drew us west. In your simplicity, you've offered us a sanctuary, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

With love and warmth,

Your current occupant