by Lucy Connor
It is almost midnight, soon to be March 31, 2014. I closed on my new home three years ago on this date! I have lovingly decorated every square inch of my castle to reflect my rather quirky personality. My living room walls show off pictures of cockatoos in mirrored frames from the 1940’s, my dining room features completely mis-matched chairs and mid-century modern bookcases turned into hutches….along with a few Craigslist finds. Everything about this home screams that it is Mine, Mine, Mine!
Since my divorce, I have dated a bit. Every gentleman that makes it to my house gets a castle tour. Following the old adage, ” Leave the best for last”, the running commentary at tour’s end goes something like this. ” This is the reason I bought this house…but wait, before you see the room…look at this closet. It is a double walk-in …and it is full! No room for anyone else here.” After that not so subtle proclamation of my unavailability, I show off the master suite, and the castle tour is complete.
I generally do the tour right away. This way, boundaries and expectations are set from the start.I can show off the fact that I am an independent woman who is capable, fine, happy and successful on my own. My date knows the lay of the land in both literal and figurative ways from the first.
Last week, the first fellow in over a year made it to my house. He walked in, strong, confident and handsome, a sight for sore eyes. The air in the house literally seemed to change with his presence. Immediately, he was taken on the castle tour. When it was time to show him ” the reason I bought the house”, I turned down the hall to my room and went right past the closet to show off the Master Suite. His reaction to my house was delightful. He loved being here, and more importantly, I loved having him here.
The next day, I was at school, my mind was racing through my to – do list during planning time, when all of a sudden I started mentally cleaning out my closet… Woah! Where did that come from? I had never even considered that anyone but me would be a permanent resident in my castle, but for some reason, I was making closet space so someone could be. Most of me was caught completely off guard by this thought. I have to admit, however, that part of me was excited and energized by the possibility of a relationship that could crack open my doors and break down my walls.
It is far too early to know if he is the one who will finally melt my heart and kick down the closet door. It is nice though, to realize that it could happen. After so many years of believing that I would spend the rest of my life as the single queen of my castle, I am starting to feel the urge to begin cleaning out again. Cleaning out my heart, my drawers, my sentimental messy boxes in the garage, my closet….to make room again. He has cracked open my closet door,and I am hopeful!
