Kaitlin and I were watching HGTV last night. We used to do this quite a lot, but since we renovated our house it was the absolute last thing we wanted to watch. But it’s been about a year since the DIY home renovation, and the PTSD has all but passed. That and we’ve finished “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (highly recommended) and all caught up on GoT.
We generally favor the flipping shows, usually Flip or Flop, and while watching, Kaitlin announced, “I could do that again.”
I was shocked.
Kaitlin had always said that she would “NEVER” do it again. I’ve had a slightly more amenable attitude with a few stipulations. I wouldn’t do it again the way we did: A toddler, dog, pregnant wife, and living in it. It was challenging to say the least.
It’s amazing though how the brain the wired to forget the bad, or at least diminish its severity. I’m reminded of my days running cross country in high school and college. I would literally run myself into the ground, sometimes collapsing after races, often throwing up.
It was a terrible feeling. And every time I was in that moment, in that excruciating pain, I’d swear to myself that I was done; I wouldn’t do it again.
But how soon we forget.
The thing about Kaitlin though is she doesn’t forget. She has an incredible memory (unlike mine). She’s just that hardcore. During our renovation she was the one that kept pushing things forward. She was the one taking most of the initiative and inspiring me to keep going. It takes a special person and, I like to think, a special couple to be able to do something like that together and come out ok in the end.
If we ever find ourselves in a situation where it makes sense to do another live-in renovation, I’d jump at the chance to do it with Kaitlin again.