My blessed life

It`s 21:25 on a Sunday night. I`m sitting in the study, listening to Pink`s "F***ng Perfect" on repeat and reading my wife`s blog.

I haven`t blogged in yonks. I just haven`t had much to say if I`m 100% honest. Life has been leading it`s inevitable course for the last 2 years. It`s been a pretty tough slog, with more downs than ups but we`ve been surviving and having a pretty good time doing just that.

We`ve rediscovered our friends. Since we came back to Joburg, just on 2 years ago, it`s been amazing spending time with our best friends. No matter how awesome Cape Town was, nothing could replace true friendship and I`m so blessed being back with my true friends. Friends and Family, nothing matters more. Nothing.

Hayley and I have also been on a big journey. Coming from a place where we could afford and do anything to not being able to do those same things, it`s been a hard road. A road I wouldn`t have been able to walk with anybody else. A road I`m thankful to have walked with my soulmate. We are and will always be best friends. I`m the luckiest guy in the world.

That brings me to the last 58 days. The last 58 days have been some of the most encouraging, reaffirming ones of my whole life. You see it happened on 7 January 2011. I was in Middelburg for business and I got a call from Hayley. She had told me about a house she had seen. It was for sale and she was totally in love with the place. I was on my way home and agreed to meet her to see the house. It meant nothing to me. I was still in the space where life was completely against me and nothing good was gonna happen. I met Hayley at the house and went through the motions. Even though I loved it, I was never gonna get excited. It was just too long a shot. The downside was just too big. I wasn`t gonna set myself up for that big a fall. AND there was an offer on it already.

Hayley was adamant that she loved the place. She called her folks and they agreed to come have a look with us on the Sunday. Hayley`s Dad also loved the place, much to my chagrin. I was counting on him having something negative to say! I was trying to convince myself that the house wasn`t for us, that the last 2 years had left it`s mark on everything.

Hayley however, refused to budge.

She convinced me to fill in the application form for the bond. She phoned my Private Banker in Somerset West and arranged EVERYTHING. I was a reluctant passenger. I did what she wanted but made in difficult.

On the Thursday we heard that the offer on the house had fallen through and I almost got excited. Almost.

So on that same Thursday our application was submitted. A long shot. On the Friday, I just got home and got a call from Hayley. She said the status on the internet read "application approved". I didn`t believe her and went to check for myself. It did say that. I was in tears. I never thought it would happen. Especially not in 2 days. I phoned my personal banker and she phoned the call centre. Both said the same thing.

"Congratulations".

We could not believe it. We were beyond excited. That little statement meant that our lives were ours again. A house of our own after 2 years of renting. Things we lived for were going to be ours again.

We signed for it the next week. We got the keys on the 25th of January 2011. Started painting and laying wooden floors the very same week. We have done so much during the last few weeks, it`s been amazing.

It is bound to be registered tomorrow, 59 days after that 1st viewing. We have had the keys for 41 days. We have transformed it into OUR home. Elvis and Phoebe love it here. We spend time next to the pool, playing ball in the garden, braaing, laughing and joking. It`s ours. It`s not just a house, it`s confirmation that we have our lives back. A life we lost and have craved for almost 3 years.

I owe it all to my wonderful wife. She is the most amazing person I have ever met. I owe her so much, I`ll never be able to repay her love and kindness. Thank you my Sweetie for making another shot at complete happiness possible. I love you more than life itself.....



The most amazing post script to our journey happened on the weekend. We got copies of the original plans for our house and they are dated 25 January 1961. 50 Years to the day when Hayley and I got the keys to our new home.

Meant to be?

I think so....