A Fresh Start After Life Has Leveled You
The home I lovingly built for myself is being dismantled. No, seriously. It’s getting taken apart, starting with the carport.
When I purchased this doublewide in January 2021, I did not know the world that would unfold later that year. All I knew is I was separated from my husband of 32 years and still processing the to divorce or not to divorce question. (Spoiler alert: I divorced and my only regret is that I did not do it sooner.)
I also knew that this place would be a temporary situation as the mobile home park is announcing closure anytime. Then it’s off to the races. Once the closure is announced, there will be six months to skedaddle.
I didn’t want to wait for the announcement since it will trigger a fire sale in the park, a flood of desperate sellers wanting to unload their mobile homes at rock-bottom prices.
As an experiment, I put a for sale sign in the window. I still had one chemo session to go, but I thought, what the heck?
A sweet family bought it within the week. They started the teardown work already.
It reflects how I’ve felt about this past year. Clear the decks. Marriage dismantled-check! Sell home-yup. Cancerous boobs removed-check! End my job-check! Car sold-check. Ruthie, my beloved cat-re-homed. (Many tears on that last one.) And now, watching my home get deconstructed.
It all feels so à propos.
What’s next?
A brand spankin’ new chapter, baby. A fresh start. Those were the words the breast cancer surgeon used as I sat weeping in the exam room at Mayo. At the time, I was too flooded with the emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis and couldn’t see the hope and wisdom those three words conveyed.
I have 58 years of life experience and perspective to know that the journey is continuing. A new chapter is unfolding. It’s not a new story, it’s a plot twist. A fresh start within the story.
Stepping into this new chapter is scary. I am kicking it off with a long road trip before I land in Michigan to reunite with Tom, my sent-from-heaven partner.
I found a newer car at a good price. All my belongings are in a 5’x10’ storage unit. The bank is notified of my upcoming interstate travels, so they don’t suspect something wonky with my account. And oh ma gosh-this is the best part.
Spending time with my boy and his wife. It’s been almost two years. And then there is the list of loved ones with whom I will reconnect.
Perhaps more importantly, I feel like this is an invitation to reconnect with ME. Not Theresa the wife. Not Theresa, the homeschool mom. Theresa the organizer. Theresa, whomever someone has needed to be.
It’s time to reconnect with the essence of myself. Just ME.
Theresa.
Let the adventure continue!
Theresa Winn is…Theresa. She loves coaching and spiritual direction. She also loves being flat and cancer free. Please consider clapping or subscribing to my page. Consider buying her a bottle of three buck chuck from Trader Joe’s.
