The Hey You Lady

(Disclaimer: As you read this post, think of the author as someone who is an outsider, looking in. As much as I love and appreciate every member of my family and extended family, it is in no way my intention to sound whiney, or to stir up any conflict or strife. Y'all know me better than that...) Way back in the deep dark ages of antiquity when I was young, I remember being able to spend time on a somewhat regular basis with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. True, we were all younger, and nana and granddad were alive then as well. And getting together was much easier because most of us lived within just a couple hours drive of each other. Christmas was a family reunion of sorts, where the men watched sports or talked cars, the women talked family and cooking, and the kids talked about how neat it was to play with cousins and reminisced about the time mom, Aunt, and six cousins piled in the old Dodge Dart, went to Pup-n-Taco and ate (collectively) about 50 tacos with hot...

Photo by pollyscards via Photobucket.com My house has a “For Sale” sign in the front yard at my house. It wasn’t exactly my idea to put the house on the market, with the housing prices down. But I knew that in order for me to remain financially solvent after ending my marriage, I really had no choice. Well, I did – I could have walked away and let the property foreclose. Or I could have applied for a loan modification; but why, when I didn’t want to keep the house long-term? Selling a house is not easy, even when it is the right thing to do. My initial meeting with my real estate agent was in October, and the house went on the market officially in November. It was about three weeks later when I walked out my front door and saw the “For Sale” sign on my front lawn. And I cried. I wasn’t crying happy tears. No, I was crying the hot, fat wet tears that form rivers on your cheeks, threatening to suffocate you until you finally allow yourself to feel, and you cry some more because w...