Brave Enough To Be Bliss

laughed, and teased during the happiest of times and we have kept each other going during the saddest of times. Where we once had to live for each other, we are stronger now and each can stand on our own, but always with the assurance that the other will be there to count on if the need arises.

So happiest of birthdays to my one and only. I know that your 24th year is going to be the very best one yet and I could not possibly be more excited for you, prouder of you or love you any more!

My Love, My Life Lyrics (youtube.com)

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” Anne Frank

In the summer of 2023, Kylee and her husband had been looking for a house to buy and the market was hot, so offers had to be made very quickly. When she’d see one of interest come up and they both were working, she’d check to see if I could go by and look at the backyard to see if it was big enough for the dogs . Since I wasn’t working, I drove by a few for them and reported back. One day when I was out looking at one, I thought I would just drive around the area she sent me to and see if there was anything else of interest in nearby subdivisions. I drove into one called Willow Ridge and thought, now this is where I could picture them raising their family someday. There was a section where homes were still being built so I drove by the model home, stopped, and picked up information about it to see if it was within their price range. I was disappointed that it was a little higher, so when I got home, I threw away the information and didn’t mention anything about it to them. While they were looking to buy, I was very fortunate to be selling my home and was surprised by the profit I made in less than six years. Initially I thought it would just provide some peace of mind in case it took a while to find the right job. Not long after I sold it, though, I had a feeling that I was supposed to give them a financial gift so they could make a bigger downpayment. At first, I dismissed the feeling because that just seemed unwise, given my unemployment situation. But the feeling persisted. I thought about the fact it was such fortunate timing that I made the profit I did in that short timeframe and really it felt more like a gift that had been given to me than something I earned. I thought back to when my husband and I bought our first home when we were just starting out. Kylee and her husband work very hard as a nurse and police officer. They do things many of us wouldn’t be able to. It’s very stressful dealing with all they do. People can be very unkind to them, so they endure a lot and have to continue to care for and protect people even when they are rude and ungrateful. Certainly, they understand people who need their care are often scared and that brings out the worst in everyone, but over time, it can get very difficult to continue to g ive when you’re getting verbally slapped in the face at every turn. And from what I have observed, they appear to make very responsible, conservative decisions, so I didn’t think a gift would be doing a disservice to them. I’ve been very impressed with how well they have navigated these first few years of marriage. I thought back to that neighborhood I saw and how, if they could move into that higher price range, there would be so many more neighborhoods they could consider. I also thought about the fact it’s very

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