Inviting Chaos in Service of Improvement

Our house is in chaos at the moment. After living in the same place for longer than we ever have in our married lives, it’s time to replace the worn-out carpeting in the living areas and hallways of our home. (With the exception of bedrooms, the idea of carpeted floors in a warm climate has always struck me as quite impractical.)

Of course, trying to find places to stash all the books, furnishings, chairs, knick-knacks, artwork, etc. from entire swaths of your living space (as well as the hall closet and interior shelves of all furniture the professionals will move)—and be able to live, move, and function in the remaining spaces—is sometimes feeling like a huge logistical nightmare. (Fortunately, as you can see here, we have a guest bedroom…!) As a client and colleague frequently states about such moments, “It’s a first-world problem.” We have accumulated a lot of stuff in 27 years of marriage.

Being able to continue working during this transformation of our home is important for me. I lost much of last week to battling a virus which was bad enough to send me to urgent care and a COVID-19 test to make certain I was in that 95% who are sufficiently protected by the vaccine. Fortunately, the test came back negative.

What this means is that I’ll be closed off in my office this week while workers pass by my door, carrying out old carpeting and installing the latest in engineered wood-style flooring that should be low-maintenance, cooler in summer, and stay looking nicer for a lot longer than the five-plus years we’ve lived here. Hopefully, all will go smoothly and by Thursday we can begin putting our living areas back together.

Sometimes chaos enters our lives without warning, turning everything upside down. That certainly happened around the world with the COVID-19 pandemic. When those days arrive, we hunker down and power through, doing our best in adverse circumstances. We rest when we can, grieve when we must, and support each other on the journey—as we have.

While it can seem counterintuitive to invite chaos into our lives, there are times when it’s the right choice. Henry and I know it will be a lot easier for us to care for the highly trafficked areas of our home when they are not covered in easily worn down and soiled carpeting. Our living areas will look more attractive for a much longer period of time. Removing the carpeting should also be better for our allergies.

When have you invited chaos into your lives for reasons that made sense to you? Is there any place in your life, large or small, where upheaval might be the right choice now?