Showing Love.

pre-s. You can watch this week's video letter here. :)

This past week, I finally got the last of the mold out of my house. My lungs are happy. My face is happy. My feet are happy.

But more than all that - this house is happy.

Over the last few months, I've ripped out floors, ceilings, cabinets and walls.

When I tell that to people, they invariably think of the carnage - the percussive noise, toxic air, gaping holes where there used to be a floor.

But the actual experience of doing it feels rather different.

I'm reminded of the times my dog would come up to me, limping, thorn-in-paw, please help.

Washing out road rash with my sister as kids.

Carving out a bit of rot from a perfectly good piece of wood.

There's compassion to the scalpel, tweezers, crowbar.

And a special kind of gratitude and connection that waits at the end.

That was hurting. You helped. Thank you.

It's what I feel from this house, years of neglect behind it, finally getting the love it deserves.

And it feels good.

Have a house-appreciating week,

-Steven

p.s. The best thing I read all week was this heart-warming and just plain normal story about Mittens, his Floofiness, who was awarded the key to the city for New Zealand's capitol city.