Remarkably Mine

I arrived in Hawaii on September 13th. In the days and weeks since I've been here, my wife DeAnna has been performing an amazing transformation of our house, our past and our life. I have the singularly simple job of working at a job. DeAnna has been sorting through 2,700 square feet of the "stuff" we've been accumulating for over a decade. Her job has been to reduce everything we own by selling, donating or throwing things away. She has orchestrated garage sales, taken loads and loads and loads of things to the local Goodwill, and filled an entire dumpster full of trash.

Disposing of things is easy when you haven't invested anything. But all of this stuff has been desired and bought and cherished. It has personal, emotional value as well as intrinsic useful value. She's not just lifting and loading and horsing things around, she's letting go of memories and history. To top that, she's making decisions for BOTH of us, dispensing with stuff that has been mine as well. For example, DeAnna has reduced about 18 containers full of Christmas decorations accumulated over her lifetime down to 3 or 4 - that includes the huge collection of original snow village houses and figurines given to us by my Aunt Jeanne Trkla.

To top this off, she's leaving her job and career to move out here to Hawaii next weekend so we can be together. Last weekend, she went to Virginia to look at real estate - where we'll move when my assignment is over in Hawaii. She toured several condos and discussed mortgages. This week and next, she's finishing out her last days at her job, packing to travel for 6 months and preparing our home to serve as a furnished rental unit. Did I mention that she's contracted painters, carpet cleaners and worked on several items such as stained woodwork and 'pet-stained' carpet.

There is so much more to this remarkable woman - intelligent, talented, beautiful, loving, gifted... I couldn't write enough about her. Today is her birthday. I'm so proud of her and I love her beyond words. She puts up with me and supports me and in spite of that loves me back. God Bless DeAnna! I thank Him every day for her. I am so positively blessed by my wife and so anxious to see her.

Happy Birthday DeAnna!