Why Aren't I in Florida Yet?

Did other dreams need to happen first?

A woman looks out at the ocean, photo by John @johnerfurt on Unsplash.

My adult daughter sat cross-legged in her childhood bedroom, surrounded by a pile of books and three bags: one for donations, one for keeping, and one for trash. She had moved out several years earlier, but like me, when I moved out of my parents, plenty of stuff stayed behind.

After living contentedly on her own, she, like many Americans, was ready to become a first-time homeowner.

The timing couldn't have been more brutal.

It was a house seller's post-pandemic market, and the dream of becoming a homeowner kept slipping from her reach. She changed tactics as she made house offers and expanded her territory; weeks had turned into months.

I imagined the fire she had inside extinguished a bit with each rejection. Somehow she found the kindling to fire up again--see more houses and make more offers. The aftermath of COVID made the homeowner’s dream elusive for many.

Meanwhile, my husband and I remotely oversaw our Florida house build from our Pennsylvania home.

The Florida house didn't seem to mind that it hadn't changed much. Half-dressed, had the house assumed the leisurely vibe of the beach town? I wondered as the house stood without its windows and doors last summer.

When my eyes scanned a new construction house with windows and doors in the neighborhood, I wondered even more.

The builders had hoped to have the house done this past Winter, then in the Spring. Life rolled on, and we rolled on right into July.

Even so, my daughter cleaned out her childhood bedroom, anticipating our long-awaited move to Florida.

Two things happened—almost at once.

After, my husband and I received word that my daughter had landed a townhouse. We were jubilant!

My adult son lived in Brooklyn in an apartment and worked in Manhattan. He had a next-step dream, also. He envisioned one day working in Miami's financial district.

Incredibly, my son announced his news, too, a job offer in Miami, Florida--another long-time dream fulfilled!

The moment of the events felt like divine timing.

We witnessed my daughter's move. She and her friends hauled stuff out of our house that we would not take to Florida. My Pennsylvania house had been partly emptied, with little effort on my part.

At about the same time, my son moved all his belongings by U-Haul over two days to Miami. I texted him about the drive as he took to the road, "Don't push yourself too hard...You will get there when you get there! And it will be there when you get there."

These were not profound words, but as I reread them, they also spoke to me about my move to Florida.

The broader picture at play.

There are two ways to see life: the local situation and the broader picture.

The local situation beckons us to action or acceptance.

The broader picture beckons us to see something more significant at play.

I recalled a statement one of the children said years earlier about our move to Florida. They were supportive. Yet, an emotion spilled out as one said we were moving from them.

Now, it felt like life meant for us to be anchors at their childhood home, one last time, while new transitions happened in their lives.

And I can see the momentum coming our way, too--our Florida house's finish line around the corner. Two dreams preceded ours.

And, from a broader picture perspective, I am okay with that.