We have decided to renew our house lease for another 2 years. This will bring us up to 10 years being in our quirky little house. The shock of that hit us squarely in the chest the other day.
When we first signed the lease - we said it would be for just a year until we were back on our feet and recovered from our relocation from the big city. Now we are steaming towards a decade. It has made us stop and take stock. The truth is where we are situated has been so perfect for us. We are on the outskirts of the city where I have mostly been working for the past decade and of course we are right under our beautiful mountain with the forest literally on our doorstep. We can escape the concrete jungle whenever we like without taking a road trip. We are close enough to the harbour to hear the foghorns blowing on foggy mornings. It’s been a 5 minute trip to the girls school and even though that is now coming to an end, the university is even closer. In terms of location we are very well situated. For a while now we had to give up the dream of being able to own a property this side of the mountain. It’s just too expensive. Cape Town property is off the charts especially this close to the city. We made peace that we will continue leasing until we know what direction we will want to go. In the next six months Corks will be 21 and both our girls will be in university at the same time. Our dogs are also on the other side of the half way mark of their lives. Things are changing for us and our little family and we don’t know what that’s going to look like going forward and we have been apprehensive to lock anything down permanently.
We love our home and it’s quirkiness and all the ease it offers us, but I think the thing I love the most about it, is when we came here, Kitty was so little that she measured below the door handle and now she towers over us. It will also be the longest place we have stayed so far in our married life and once we reach 10 years here, it will officially be the longest I’ve ever stayed in one place in my whole life. Which is a huge milestone, in itself. I had a very nomadic childhood. These restless patterns continued into adulthood and having this level of stability and what that holds for me… is huge. Being able to give that to my girls has been important to me. I love that they have loved this home so much and so many beautiful memories are held within these walls. It’s where my girls grew up into their own adulthood.
So for now… we are embracing this new renewal and all the comfort it gives us in it’s small and humble and beautiful simpleness. The little knowing at the back of my mind that makes me smile when I’m in my kitchen preparing dinner, when my big girls walk in and help me prepare and I see the door handle behind them and remember that little girl that now kisses my forehead while looking down on me.
This is our home even with all it’s impermanence.