So it’s been 2 months since I said we were selling our house, and guess what? We sold our house, with 4 offers in 2 days of showings. We bought a weird, character-rich house not too far away, much smaller, much older, much more us. And like us, it’s definitely a fixer-upper! Still, we love it, and don’t feel like we’ve lost anything we weren’t ready to lose all along. Yes, that includes a little bit more sanity. It’s okay though, we’re both ready to do this whole big new thing.
We gave up about 500 square feet of living space, and are still coming to terms with letting go of all the extra stuff. We both enjoy the lightness that comes with letting it go. But the tugs of memory are still there, attached to things that have been so much more than just things. The table where our kids did homework, learned (hopefully) table manners, played table-pong. I could write pages about the things that table has seen. But, alas, we have no dining space in the new house, so off it went. With each thing gone, I soak in the memories, roll around in them, and let them stick. The thing doesn’t own the past, I do. The thing doesn’t own me, I do.
And so last week I listed the old leather sofa for sale. The ad is below. Writing it was really kind of awesome – cathartic, you know? And I’m releasing the sofa, and all the things, out into the wild. Just like everything else, letting go is hard and amazing.
I think the Disney fairy tale has ruined our expectations of life. The plot is always just this One Big Problem, then it’s solved by some prince or other, and then, um, The End. Happily ever after, whatever the heck that means. Life isn’t just One Big Problem though, it’s full of problems and solutions and wonder and pain and growth. Some days you have to claw your way into just being OK. Getting older teaches us what we should have always known, that we can and will move on through whatever is happening at the moment. We are resilient because that is what life is for, I think.
So I’m selling my stuff, and keeping my memories, good and bad, and making new memories, good and bad. We’ll get new stuff, and it will age and tear and learn to adjust to us as things usually do. The wheel is still turning, and I’m going to enjoy the ride as long as it lasts, as long as the new sofa lasts, and maybe the one after that too.
Leather sofa seeks new adventures
This sofa has had an amazing life so far and is ready for a new adventure with you.
This soft, supple, brown leather sofa has been loved by children and dogs and assorted adults for going on ten years now. It has served as the base of operations for hundreds of hours of Netflix and naps, and overnight sleeps. It is so comfortable that the dogs and the children have fought semi-epic battles over it. Friends at parties have buddied up to fit four, once even five, happily on its ample cushions.
It has a few battle scars, and certainly a little bit of dog hair in spite of our efforts to keep it pristine. It resembles us in that way, there’s always a stray dog hair somewhere. We call it character.
There is a small tear hidden in its folds on the right armrest, and another on the cushion next to that. There are some additional scratches on the cushions – I blame the dogs, but even so, it’s really my own fault for being afraid to trim their nails more. And letting them on the couch at all – as if I had a choice. If there are any additional tears, I do not know about them.
This couch has never smoked a cigarette, nor has anyone nearby. I do believe someone “vaped” on it a time or two, but once caught, he was sent packing.
Why are we selling this love of our lives? We have downsized into a much smaller home and changed color schemes to brighten the place up. Much like us, our new house is going gray. Believe me, if I had a pool room or basement hangout, this couch would never leave my life.
We drive tiny cars and can’t deliver, and probably can’t carry it to your vehicle without help (we had young’uns carry it in to the new place for us). It’s about 38” deep, 88-90” long.
I’d like to ask $1000 for it, but realistically, how about $150? Hurry before I change my mind about the gray…
P.S. The sofa isn’t for sale just yet, the new one will take a while to arrive and begin its new adventures!
