Drama - Who Needs It?

Wow! What a month. I could write volumes about how I felt when Obama won the election and what it was like to watch his acceptance speech; which was more about watching the people watching him than about actually watching him (except for that dress, of course). But people smarter and more articulate than I have already written volumes and so I won't. In November, with the exception of the election, I was consumed with my family's personal drama. It is a drama that is being replicated across America and it was scary and hard. The short version: like many other families, we were faced with a looming balloon and refinance. Unfortunately our home has lost some value and would not appraise for what we paid. Additionally, my husband's unemployment has had a less than salutary effect on our credit. And so we contacted our mortgagor who wanted no part. The short version: we told the mortgagor what we could afford and basically said....if not, we walk away. My father is coming to live with us and I couldn't see moving him and then possibly having to move again. I thought we should simply bring on the crisis and see where it led. I spent a huge amount of time simply hoping for some sign of what I was supposed to do. But then I figured out what I could do and said its this or nothing. Then I worked really hard to be ok with walking away if that was what was right and best for our family. Just as we were preparing to sign a lease and move, our mortgagor agreed to rewrite our mortgage for an amount the house is really worth! A small miracle for our family. Still a struggle but a miracle nonetheless. And a personal triumph for me. I negotiated something, the hard way, and it worked! And then my birthday, and family visiting and all that. What a month of ups and downs, fear and faith, the unknown and the concrete result. It has been a tiring time being caught up in my personal drama. I prefer others' drama for subject matter and will return to those observations anon.