I met with my real estate agent today. She also is my niece. She is very thorough, precise, and knows an excellent offer when she sees it. Wendy Welch has sold 3 houses for the Babe and me, and helped us find two homes that were “ours.” Home.
Our retirement home (a ranch style home with a beautiful walk-out basement) is perfect. I tell her often the deck is like a vacation home. We had a two story before, and now, it’s one story. We love it.
It felt weird today. As POA, I was signing papers to sell our family home. Mom lived there 74 years. I am fully aware of the importance this home has for her. It’s an enormous responsibility, and I am honored to be trusted with the job. I’m in awe of the stories in that home. Every room has stories in its makeup. Stories of childhood, teenage broken hearts, and even my living with the folks while my first husband was in Germany, on duty during the Vietnam War. My son Frankie was a baby and my brothers were 10 and 13. They had fun together.
Lots of memories are surfacing, and most of them are very good. How we’ve all grown up into good people. Mom is working her way through the normal grief a person has now. I’m glad she’ll be free of the concern of a house, especially when things go wrong with it. For example, we get severe hail storms in Nebraska. She’s replaced the roof twice in two years. And siding, painting the garage, and all the stress of managing the project. She deserves a rest after all that.
Mom’s happy my Wendy is the agent. She assumed that was who I would choose, as she knows how I’ve been happy with and pleased with her work. This should be fun. Another new experience. Life is good. I hope yours is, too. Have a happy Wednesday, and we’ll see each other tomorrow.
Kathy Raabe 