Decisions, decisions...


My family owns a tiny house here on the island (besides the small house we live in), and it was rented to a lovely lady until the end of February.  She needed to move out and that left us considering what we should do with the property.

Given that 2022 has been designated as Come Home Year in this province,  we thought we might try preparing to rent it as an AirBnB. My partner was gung-ho to give it a try as a way to augment the family income as inflation continues to assert itself daily.

March was spent giving the house a little refresh and outfitting it with what would be needed. My partner set up an AirBnB account and planned a tentative opening date in late May.

However,  as each week passed, I became increasingly worried. The Omicron variant has been wreaking havoc everywhere.  And she's over 70 and I have serious health issues.  After several weeks of broken rest and rumination I finally expressed my fears aloud.

So this coming week, we are listing the wee house for sale! We have decided to maintain our small bubble, continue minimizing our risk of exposure and seek other ways of easing the growing strain on our budget.

I decided to blog about this, because while it is definitely a "first world problem ", there are many people out there on fixed incomes,  with health issues, facing increasing financial pressures as the world around us spins even faster. I know the worry has taken a toll on my physical and emotional resources,  and I know our situation is far from unique. 

So, this past week, we geared back and slowed down a bit even as we finished readying the house for listing.  We prioritized walking the dog in the sunshine, and other relaxing, home leisure activities, to help us release the stress we had been carrying.

It is so easy to get swept up in the tides of stress that fill our lives. And it is difficult to think clearly while evaluating the risks and benefits of the options before us. 

We realized that so much is different after two years with the pandemic. The types of decisions we have made and continue to make will be different than we might have made before,  but that no longer really counts. And we certainly shouldn't beat ourselves up with "might haves" and "should haves".

All any of us can do is the best we can at any given point in time. And when it feels like the ground under our feet isn't as solid as it once was, anxiety and fear can make finding the best option more challenging than we might have thought.

Just know you're not alone.  Talk to your loved ones about your hopes and fears. And be kind to yourself as you find your way forward. 

Stay safe and hug your loved ones every chance you get. 



Comments

Popular Posts