Small and Simple Things

Wow - I don't even know where to begin with this post.  I have been thinking today about how small things really do lead to great things . . . how sometimes an inch really is a mile.  Some background:

Shortly after we moved into the condo, we had a huge rainstorm.  Fortunately for us, Dave soon discovered that our laminate flooring around the balcony door was all wet . . . a puddle, actually, of water.  It took us almost two years -- with plastic taped to the glass doors and buckets out at all times -- before the Home Owner Association finally got the problem fixed.  Thank heavens for Home Owner's Associations!!!

Well, as we were preparing to move to California, we wanted to leave the condo in PRISTINE shape because we decided to keep it, refinance it, and rent it out next year.  Well, the night before we left for California, Dave pulled the paint tape off the ceiling in one of the bedrooms . . . and pulled off the ceiling with it.  It had water damage that had completely seeped through the sheetrock.  Impeccable. timing.

Well, we called the after-hours number for the HOA manager, sent her an e-mail about what was going on, and drove away the next morning at 5:30 a.m.

Less than two weeks later, we found out that the water damage was actually severe mold and water damage.  In fact, it now appears that there are at least three beams in ceiling that have to be completely replaced, not to mention the sheetrock and paint and beams between the bedrooms in our condo.  And if they don't get them replaced, well the ceiling will soon collapse, making even more fun trouble to deal with later.  What is the estimated cost of this project so far?  $14,000.  No - I'm NOT kidding!

And do you want to know what caused all of this damage?  The original contractor that built the condos didn't seal off the dryer ducts properly.  That's it.  Such a small thing that led to incredible damage, could have even led to life-threatening damage had the beams collapsed while someone was living there, completely oblivious to the fact that there was any looming danger whatsoever.  And the mold danger/effects?  If we were still living there, we would have to move out because of the mold.  So. fun. 

On the flipside, I wrote in the last post how things were less than stellar here and California had gone to no great lengths to lay out the red carpet of welcome when we arrived.  Even things at church started out a bit rocky (like no one showed up to help us move, even though we had called ahead and made arrangements -- yeah -- not a good first impression). 

Then I decided that this was going to be fantastic! (Dave coaxed me in that direction quite a bit -- so glad I have such a strong spouse to remind me when I just want to cave and go home!)  The next Sunday at church, I started introducing us to everyone I met -- the people sitting outside in the foyer with us during Sacrament Meeting, the people I sat next to in Sunday School, the Relief Society (Dave went to Nursery with the kids to let me go to my meetings -- SUCH a gem!!!!).  Anyway, by the end of the day, I had signed up to take food for the service project to serve a meal at the Homeless Shelter, signed up to take waffle toppings for the ward waffle breakfast/clean the chapel service project, and we had been asked to speak in church the next Sunday.  And you know what?  I'm already feeling attached to the people I've been talking with, serving with, etc.  It's made everything here seem SO MUCH MORE DO-ABLE than it was before.  Someone suggested an OB/GYN for me to go to.  I don't feel quite so alone, and I am really thankful that Dave is home in the evenings and on the weekends to let me participate in some of these things.  I've really missed all of this. Small, simple things.

So back to small and simple things.  No matter which way you spin it -- positive small things that make a huge difference in your attitude about and/or experience with something or negative small things that end up taking so much more time and money to fix later when they should have/could have just been done right to start out with -- small and simple things really DO bring about GREAT THINGS.  Those things might be a mighty change of heart, a much-needed lesson learned, a course correction to put you back where you want/need to be, new beams in the ceilings and walls in the condo, a casual acquaintance that you find is really a kindred spirit and eternal friend you didn't even know you were missing, an opportunity to discover and build a talent, an opportunity to overcome a weakness or get rid of a negative characteristic you've been fighting for years, etc.

And when the twist is less than positive, nip it in the bud at the first sign!  Stop any further damage from hitting, revise your plan, course, job pursuit, etc., and MAKE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS by getting rid of anything that would stand in your way and filling in with the things you can control, you CAN change, you can IMPROVE upon. 

By the way -- six months pregnant, and I am just now FINALLY getting into a steady routine of doing my prenatal workout videos (four days down -- twelve weeks to go).  Once again, a small thing that will -- with persistence, endurance, and consistency -- lead to a great thing!  And, allergies or no allergies, once this baby is born and I can get on some good allergy medication and even use a strong inhaler, I am going to find a way to train for and run AT LEAST a half-marathon! 

One. day. at. a. time. . . .