Milestone: "Maturity"

So, how will I know when I'm "mature"?

What's the absolute test that determines one's maturity?

Philip and I spent this past week at my respite, my heaven on earth, my "true north" as I sometimes have referred to the small home we own on the mid-coast of Maine.  To be sure, he and I see it in an entirely different light!  MooseWalk Cottage has played and continues to play a significant role in my maturity process.  

The cottage recently took on the role of "gut check" catalyst when we signed a contract to sell it in the fall.  While not particularly robust, the mid-coast real estate market has strengthened from its plummet of 2006 and it has become clear that our needs for a Maine retirement home have evolved since the days when we felt that MooseWalk would be perfect.  Alas, the inevitable has arrived.

To preclude my casting Philip in the role of villain where this action is concerned, I independently made the call to sell but based that call on cold, hard facts that the two of us had discussed.  I have so much emotional capital tied up in the cottage that to sell was truly one of the most difficult decisions of my life.  But the things that we "clutter" our lives with, that WE imbue with so much importance, from possessions to friendships, can be seen as both assets AND as liabilities, just like in accounting.  When any of those things morphs from being a clear asset to being a clear liability, we must act.  

The recognition of that bothersome fact and the fortitude to do something about it is what I call maturity.  

Maybe it's a little naive to think that "the cosmos" have a reward in store for us when we find the courage to make the truly hard decisions.  So, call me naive!

As the week grew bleaker and bleaker for me with the realization of what, exactly, I was committed to doing, we began the search for a potential replacement that would be more suitable for our dotage.  Several areas and properties seemed promising but none really "ticked all the boxes."  Almost in desperation after a long day of "go sees", I decided to drive past a condominium that we had seen almost 2 years ago in the Topsham/Brunswick area.  For whatever reason, a home that we had discounted then suddenly had all sorts of potential.  We arranged a walk-through which confirmed our hopes that THIS might be the place.

So now we begin the arduous and very uncertain process of selling and buying real estate...ARGH!  

MATURITY....to be continued (I hope!)