We’ve been gone long enough to forget where we used to store things. There are new pieces of furniture that replaced the ones we took with us three years ago. And there’s Franklin – our son’s three year old cat. It’s not just a question of putting things back in their old places: it’s about creating a space that works for all of us – three humans and three cats – in the here and now rather than the here and three-years-ago.

It won’t be pretty or convenient for a few weeks. Right now, stuff is everywhere, in no particular order, making daily activities challenging (where did I put the French press and kosher salt?). It’s a period of cleaning, organizing, and adjusting; it’s not fun or easy, and if I could snap my fingers and have it all taken care of immediately, I’d do it. Who wouldn’t?

But a small part of me, perhaps a wiser part, thinks it’s better to have the mess and the work of getting the house back into a state that works for us all. Perhaps I won’t try to slip back into the life pattern three years past its expiration date. Perhaps I’ll find new patterns emerging from the chaotic mess that is my current situation. After all, if I have to put in this effort, why not take the opportunity to grow just a bit…