Anniversary of the Day that Changed my Life

A year ago today is when my father and I received the notice from the estate that all three farms were being sold, and we had 30 days to get out. As many will remember, the next few weeks were a perfect hell for me. Two of my worst fears in life had just come true.

That I would not be able to support my father, and I would not be able to support myself. We were about to be homeless with no place to go and no money to go there with. I had my meager savings and I was still workin hard to get debt-free, but I was not there yet. To top it off, I still had a car payment.

When we got the eviction notice, it was kind of a surreal shock. We’d lived there off and on for 29 years. We were great tenants and we had a great relationship with the landlord. Unfortunately he died in 2006/2007 and didn’t leave a will to divvy up his estate. With no children, it had to turn into a huge legal battle among nieces and nephews. His other two farms sold for 3 million a piece. Big beautiful farms in a big beautiful expensive Carroll County. Our farm was meager, and our house was condemned and not worth anything. They wanted $200k for it, and I couldn’t afford that. I originally offered $100k, then $150k, they turned down both. I guess 6 million from the other two wasn’t enough.

Looking back now at how emotional I was, I know it was all just shock and panic, and those are fairly natural things. Once I was able to make a decision about what I was going to do (buy a different house) it was more like a light switch was turned on and I was able to mentally regain control of the situation. I don’t even think dad really knew what was going on, we just sorta surrealed our way through it (I’m aware that’s not a word).

But as most tragedies seem to end up, this one ended up a blessing in disguise. A fresh start on a better life. I am happy with that.

I tell you what, it absolutely does not feel like a year has gone by since all of that. It’s still all very fresh and new to me. I still remember how I felt a year ago today, I remember how it felt not having a home for 2 months and living with relatives, I remember what it was like packing up 30 years of crap in 28 days, I remember what it felt like coming home the next day and feeling how different the house felt knowing it was no longer ours, and I remember settlement day signing the papers for our house here in Gettysburg.

And even with all the pain I initially felt, I really can’t say I’d change a thing about what happened. You learn a lot about yourself during times like these. You learn your strengths and weaknesses, how to truck on even when you want to just give up, how to step up to the plate and accomplish something you know nothing about. And most importantly, how to take responsibility when life throws you a curve ball, and learn to be prepared for anything instead of hiding behind the thought of “that’ll never happen to me”.