Unexpected Blessings

Sometimes, life just happens. Things we can't control happen and affect us. That was the case last year, when a neighbors pipe burst and sent water across the subfloor and into my shop.  It didn't rain down noticeably from the ceiling. Instead, it spread quietly under my hardwood floors in the back part of the store. The more my neighbor cleaned, the more water reappeared on their side. Where was I? On vacation.

When I returned to the shop, I noticed a little bit of bubbling in the flooring. I went about my work until I read an email that mentioned the problem. As I started looking around, I noticed a water line on a box under my long arm table. I began moving and pulling things out from under my machine, and I found more damaged flooring and a small puddle of water that remained.

The first blessing was one I noticed right away. As I pulled things out, I realized most of the items were in plastic tubs and safe from the water on the floor. There were 2 cardboard boxes, but they contained either scraps or items that were easily washable. And of course, it happened at the back of the store and not in the front where all of the for sale merchandise is.

It was a lot of work to move everything around so I could see and photograph all of the damage. I could have been extremely upset, but I chose to look for the unexpected blessings in the situation. The truth is, most of the things under my long arm had just been put there to get them out of the way when I moved in. As things have changed over time with how I use the space, I hadn't gone through and cleaned everything out. Being forced to move it, made me do it.

As it turned out, I was able to get rid of most of it. It also got me thinking...what else can I get rid of? I started to take a fresh look at both what was in the space and how the space and furniture was used. I made notes about things I wished were different, what I liked, what was missing, what was or was not functioning well. And before I knew it, I had drawings for a couple of new furniture pieces, and I called a truck to get rid of some furniture that would no longer fit into the new plan.

There was quite a bit of dreaming, all before the realities of replacing the flooring took hold. Now, I am finally at the point of replacing the flooring. That means everything will need to be boxed up and moved out. But not everything that leaves will come back, and what does come back will probably have a new home in the shop. Most people won't notice the new flooring, but they will notice the new layout. It will be easier to shop and see the fabric, and the front shopping part will be a little larger. It also means some of the existing product will be put on clearance to make way for new items. So be watching for that!

Until then, the store will be closed to walk-in traffic.

UPDATE: The installer rescheduled! The new reopening date is November 6th!

Remember, you may not be able to change what happens, but you do get to choose your reaction to it. When life gives you scraps, make something beautiful!

Blessings,

Joy :)