House Karma

I don't have to work today, so I thought I might sleep in just a little bit. But no - my eyes began popping open about 5:30 a.m. I was able to go back to sleep off and on until about 7:30, then it was no use. So for another half hour I lay there in bed, and couldn't get the thought of mowing my lawn out of my head.

While we were showing the house, we kept the yard looking quite nice. But lately, the fact that we're not showing the house anymore mingled with the frustration and depression we were feeling over the whole process meant we just didn't feel like working in the yard.

If all goes well, today will be our last full day of ownership of this great house. At 8:00, when I couldn't stay in bed any longer, I got up and headed straight for the lawnmower. I am not a morning person. It usually takes me a couple of hours to clear the sleepy cobwebs from my brain.

While I was watering the plants and mowing the lawn, I realized why I was so obsessed with yardwork. The first reason is simply house karma. I want to do the right thing for the people buying our house, in the hopes that others will do the same for us. I'm making a deposit into the karma bank.

But the main reason I had to mow the lawn was because I really do love this house. It has been a wonderful house for us, and I just couldn't bear saying good-bye to it in anything but the best condition. I imagine it's like taking your child to the first day of kindergarten. You're handing him over to the world, and you want to make sure his shirt is tucked, his hair is combed, and you've wiped the snot from his nose.

I'm very excited about (hopefully) moving into our new house tomorrow. But I want to make sure I leave my old house with plenty of signs showing how much it has been loved.