I mustered my nerve on Saturday and broke the news of my impending sale and move to the neighbor whom I was most nervous to tell. I made sure he had a freshly uncorked bottle of wine in front of him, and a full glass.
I handed him Shafer's Tiny House book. He looked at the cover. He looked at me. Blankly.
I said, "I'm going to do that -- " pointing.
?? "Do what?"
"A tiny house. I'm going to live in one"
Slowly the thought processed and it dawned on him. "You're going to sell your house."
I nodded. And promptly had to fight back tears.
Tears mostly, because I was worried about his reaction. But I shouldn't have worried (and frankly I don't know what horrible thing I was expecting) --I had worked myself into a lather with worry - but he is happy for me. He's sad, sure, but he's really excited for me, that I am pursuing my dream. And yes, pursuing my dream I am.
I finally talked with my mom this morning - we've been playing telephone tag since I
sent them the big email revealing my life overhaul. Her words? "We were just so surprised to hear your plans! But that's all we'll say, because we really don't know much." I
guess she doesn't realize that I basically told her everything I know
at this point... LOL Well, aside from all my research into tiny living;
but as far as my plans go? Yep, that's really all I know at this
point! But she wasn't negative - and at this point, that's probably
about as good as it gets.
And Lydia came over yesterday - the first with post-its for things she wants... and said some of the kindest words - that she is more distraught about me selling my house than I am, because with the sale goes so many projects that she and I have done together -- it's too sad. And when we started talking about me giving her garden things, she said I could help her choose where to plant the "BA plant" that would always be in her yard - I had to tell her "okay, that's it, you have to go now" because a conversation like that was going to require wine, and lots of it, and it was the middle of the day. Yowser.
But really, when the sun goes down at the end of the day, I am so happy that I am making progress. I'm taking steps down my new path and it's awesome. And although these steps are small ones, they are all necessary ones - some steps are emotional ones, some steps are physical ones, but they all add up to pieces in the big picture. And so far, despite my bouts of self-imposed drama, the steps are coming so clearly to me, and so easily - as though the path is already laid out for me, and I just keep moving on down the line, checking things off my list. It's really just so... amazing.
