A few years ago, I had the “talk” with my mom.
The one about where she wanted to live when she didn’t want to live by herself anymore.
She said with us.
So, we sat down and talked about what that would look like. We decided that buying a new house together with a separate living space for her was the best option.
And for the next year and a half we looked at house after house after house. It felt like a continuous revolving door of bad blind dates.
➡️ There was the one that had the 8 foot broken clock hung from the ceiling.
➡️ The one where the neighbor told us we were crazy to buy the house.
➡️ The one with potato chips ground into the floor next to the kool-aid (?) stains.
➡️ The one with a hole cut out in the middle of the living room.
➡️ And the infamous one where another prospective buyer told us to put on masks before entering, because they were pretty sure there was black mold in the house.
But then…the listing for the house on Sears Farm Road landed in our inbox. It looked like it had fallen off our vision board.
The only problem was that my mom’s living space would be upstairs.
As my husband and I talked through it, we decided that the stairs weren’t a showstopper.
At 86, my mom was still driving herself to the gym each morning, hiking 12 miles every Saturday and challenging her grandkids to an arm-wrestling match. I couldn’t imagine a scenario where physical mobility was an issue for her.
Feeling like we had thought through everything, we made an offer on our dream house.
And then an hour later…..
We withdrew our offer.
Something didn’t feel right.
Two weeks later, my mom was in a car accident.
Two weeks after the accident, the neurologist diagnosed her with Parkinson’s.
In the coming months, we’d discover that the stairs in our dream house would have become her nightmare. And without a car any longer, the new location would have been isolating.
We’d also discover that the decision to withdraw our offer didn’t come from a place of fear. It was actually a loving nudge from the Universe.
To be honest, years ago I wouldn’t have had the courage to back out of something. I would have brushed off the intuitive nudge in favor of commitment and logic. Especially when all I could see in front of me were closing doors.
Six months after her accident, my mom moved into a retirement community. It has an elevator to her fourth-floor apartment, an adorable driver to take her places and exercise classes specifically designed for those with Parkinson’s. All the things that our dream house didn’t have.
Trusting my intuition hasn’t always been my strong suit. But, I have a trick up my sleeve that has been pixie dust for my intuition.
My house.
Our homes are a mirror of our lives.
When we want to zhuzh up a particular area of our life, our homes can become our greatest ally.
HERE ARE A 3 TIPS FOR YOUR HOME IF INCREASING YOUR INTUITION IS ON YOUR TO DO LIST:
Clean your windows.
In feng shui, your windows are the eyes of your home. Having them sparkly and clean will help you see more clearly!
Declutter.
When clutter builds up, a space begins to feel energetically heavy. And when your space feels heavy, you feel heavy. Removing those things you don’t love, need or use will bring clarity and lightness to your spaces – and to you!
Pay attention to the Inner Knowledge area of your home.
Picture your home divided into 9 squares – like a pan of brownies. In feng shui, each of these 9 squares is associated with a particular area of your life. The square that’s in the front, left corner of your home is associated with your intuition. If your space permits, this is a great space to place meditation items or things that represent self-growth. It’s also a great space for a picture of yourself as a reminder to trust yourself.
Here’s to trusting the nudges. Even when it means you don’t buy your dream house.
xoxo
Dorena
