By Dalles Carey
You know that feeling when you’re knee-deep in boxes, surrounded by chaos, and a memory pops into your head that makes you laugh out loud? That happened to me recently as my family was preparing for yet another move. Suddenly, I was transported back to a moving day many years ago—one filled with its own brand of hilarity and head-scratching moments. Let me take you back to that day.
I remember standing in our then newly empty house, staring at the exposed dust bunnies that had been hiding in the nooks and crannies under our furniture. A wave of nostalgia washed over me; every scratch on the wall held a memory, and every creak in the floor told a story. This house had been a backdrop to countless family dinners, chaotic evenings, and the occasional late-night heart-to-heart. Saying goodbye to a place that had seen so many chapters of our lives was bittersweet.
After all the packing, my husband and I were finally on our way to the new house, excitement in the air. Just as I was pondering what adventures awaited us, my husband casually announced, “I need to find something to know where to turn.”
Wait, what? The street sign wasn’t good enough for him? I thought to myself, realizing he wasn’t making a joke but was actually serious. I mean, this is the man who can explain algebra in his sleep yet can’t rely on the one thing meant to guide him. “What about the street sign?” I asked slowly, raising an eyebrow.
“No, no, I need something better, something that will really help me know,” he insisted, totally serious.
I shook my head, half-laughing, half-worrying my husband had finally lost his mind. Here we were, about to start this new chapter, and he was struggling with basic directions. We went back and forth for a few minutes, and I realized how real life this moment was. It perfectly illustrated human nature; even when the signs and answers are staring right at us, isn’t it odd how we often take every single wrong turn or try every single wrong answer before finally coming back to the right one? We are funny humans that way, and obviously entertaining in the process, just like my husband was that day. Thankfully, as time progressed, it turned out he did find his “sign”—the house with the red roof, rather than the street sign, became his guiding landmark—and his continued navigation through life proved he had not, in fact, lost his mind.
In the end, it’s a great reminder that while the road ahead might be uncertain, it’s the journey—the peaks and valleys—that shape us. So here’s to embracing the chaos, laughing at our quirks, and navigating the twists and turns of this adventure we call life!