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Flowers: An Anthology by Shiva

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House Under Remodeling

Joe and Claire had finally raised their children and now they had reached the time in their lives where it was just the two of them. As the months went by, they realized that with the kids gone, their house no longer fitted their needs. Too many rooms, small bathrooms, not to mention their long held dreams of personal comfort that had been put off for so long.

Together they decided that they wanted a house for "them." They considered selling and buying a new house, but they liked their location and neighbors. So they called in architects, interior decorators, landscape consultants and together they dreamed out a whole new house. The old house would be gutted and completely remodeled.

The contracting bids were made and construction dates and deadlines set.

Joe left for work one morning from his old house. That evening, he returned to find construction equipment and material stacked all over the yard.

During the following weeks the house underwent a dramatic transformation. Walls were removed, part of the roof was torn off, holes dug in the back yard. The house looked like a wreck.

In an effort to cut cost, Joe and Claire lived in the house during this time. As a result they were continually moving their living space within the house to accommodate the contractors.

A couple of weeks into the construction period, Joe and Claire had some of their neighbors drop by for some coffee on a Saturday morning. The house was empty of the workers, but their presence was very evident; saw horses stood in what was to become the den, plastic divided the walls, sheets covered most of the furniture; even the bathroom had a drape where a wall had been removed. Clutter and grime along side construction equipment and building materials were everywhere.

"How can you live like this! Look at your beautiful home. It was so lovely, now just look at it!" the neighbors cried. "This is a shambles. I liked it the way it was! Why on earth did you decide to do this?"

No matter how Joe and Claire tried to talk about the positives, the neighbors could only see the missing walls, plastic dividers and what appeared to be utter chaos. It really looked terrible..

The neighbors left and Claire started crying. "Was it a mistake, Joe?" she sobbed. He held her tight and said, "Honey, we’re just under construction here. We just have to weather this storm. It will be beautiful just as we’ve planned. New dreams can’t come true if we hang on to the old."

Over the following weeks the house took on a whole new shape and identity. It slowly became the dream home they had envisioned.

Finally it was done! The discomfort and inconvenience were quickly forgotten as they began to enjoy their new home and life together.

House Under Remodeling Commentary:

When a person decides to make changes in their life and the transformation starts to take place, it is usually a difficult time. The people around us, who are used to us being a certain way, many can only see the upset and apparent chaos. It is hard when someone we love or respect judges us during this time. As spiritual aspirants we must be careful not to look at current circumstances but look deeper in the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
       

 

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