Moving Through Change

Paul and I just spent a week in Toronto. We packed up our house that we have been renting out for the past 2 years. 

The packing included all of our own belongings from the past 7 years since we moved into that house, the 15 years of cohabitation before that in our big suburban house, the 40 something years before that, and even remnants from both of our parents’ homes collected after their deaths.

It took us four days to pack up, give away, send off, sell and move our stuff! The job is done!

I’m not sad about leaving Toronto. It’s a very busy city! I feel it the moment our airplane touches the ground. There is a constant buzz in the air and people walk around seemingly planning their next step each move they make. Miserable faces lead me to believe there is little ‘living in the moment’. If happiness is based on being content, how can we be content if we’re constantly looking towards the future? I am noticing more and more the beauty of living in the moment that is now! Toronto served its purpose during all the years we lived there, brought up our family, and nurtured the relationships that have enriched our lives. It is definitely time to move on.

 

I have many incredible friendships in Toronto. Those relationships will change, no doubt! Some of them will even become deeper because of the ways in which we’ll need to connect in order to sustain them. I welcome that. Phone calls, Skype conversations, simple and quick ‘chats’ on email and Facebook will be the ingredients for more intimate and ‘quality’ visits. For those friendships I feel deeply blessed.

This morning I woke up so early, I needed a lantern when I went to the washroom. It was windy and quite cold and damp. I had stoked the wood-burning fire before I left the yurt. Inside it is toasty warm and oh so comfortable. Outside the winds howl, the trees dance and the darkness smells of the lingering night air. Now I can say, “I don’t have a house.” Of course, now that we have the cash, we intend to build a house on our property. We want to do it slowly, carefully and with precision. We want to be completely involved in the process and we expect to be fully ‘hands on’. That’s why we intend to hire our friends to be the builders.

We’re in no rush. For now, life in our yurt is just where we want to be. Building will come in a timely manner, and, along with our needs, it will include the desires and needs of our many children. We want our home to continue to be a gathering place where all feel welcome and safe and comfortable. Our son says, “That’s easy. Just make sure there’s a real toilet!” We’ll have to think about that one!

From bustling Toronto to quiet and wild Gabriola Island, from a downtown, spacious brick, 5 bedroom house to the simplicity of a yurt, from the hubbub of people scurrying from one ‘thing’ to the next, to the peaceful and calm delight in Nature….I have to say….I’m happy!

Next steps… Bring it on!