Alison and I bought our first home last year. Leading up to the purchase, I failed to anticipate how much different ownership would make me feel. I figured it was a simple transaction in which we traded one house we were living in for another. I was so wrong.
A few months in and we’re getting more settled by the day. Our weekly routine, where we play, where we read, and where we hang out are all well established. Now that we have a good sense of the house, we’re ready to make our mark. Our home has suffered from a bit of neglect and, thankfully, most repairs and improvements are simple.
With Spring here, we started work in earnest on the exterior last weekend. We spent all afternoon on Saturday working our way around the house, punching things off our list. I cleaned a gutter that wasn’t draining properly, Alison replanted a flowerbed by our mailbox. We pulled down an unused satellite dish, fixed a dilapidated gate, and removed dozens of yards of superfluous wiring. I bought a chainsaw, our new favorite tool, and we cut down our first bush. It was a very full afternoon.
The whole time while Alison and I were working, our kids ran around playing. They’d climb my ladder, help Alison dig, check out various tools, and explore their kingdom. Veronica happily (at least for a bit) rolled around in her playpen. She also spent a fair amount of time sitting up, watching people work.
As I stood on the ladder vacuuming debris out of the gutter, I realized how satisfying it is to be a homeowner. I’m empowered to address any issue and do so on my schedule. Each afternoon of work leaves our home that much better.
I completed my second Consecration to St. Joseph last week. Throughout that process, several times a day, I’d think about him, his life, and his titles. As we worked out in the yard, I thought about how Joseph worked to make the Holy Family’s home more comfortable. He had to take care of all the little things, just like me.
Our connection to the saints, is something exceptional within the theology of Catholicism. These holy men and women were people, just like us. They lived mostly ordinary lives except for their extraordinary virtue. If St. Joseph could attain holiness in the simple act of patching a hole in his home’s wall or addressing a leak from the roof, so can I.
Tags: Community
