I can’t bring myself to draw parallels between home renovation and entrepreneurship, though I feel certain it’s possible. The reality is that I am deeply in love with my new kitchen…
Several weeks ago, my husband announced that he was pregnant with a ktichen. And as much as I’d like to school him on the realities of this experience, I have to give him credit where credit is due. For the past thirteen weeks (yes, I’ve been counting), we have been living our lives under construction. Being pregnant (me, not him), mothering a four-year-old and a two-year-old, and living day to day with the center of my house completed gutted, you can imagine what a wild woman I have been. Threats, many emotional breakdowns, and a never ending trail of receipts and contractor expenses, at one point I said I’d actually rather give birth two or three times more than have to go through this again.
There is a convenient amnesia associated with labor and delivery, however. After all that anticipation and hard work is over, and you’re staring your new baby in the eyes for the first time, every minute of discomfort and stress and worry becomes worth it. It would be worth doubling in fact, to have this moment.
Right now, I’m staring at my brand new baby kitchen, and she’s beautiful. It’s hard to believe what the space was like before now, and in another couple months I’ll have almost forgotten the hell that was this arduous journey.
Now all I want to do is scrapbook my ‘before and after’ photos, post photos with all the finishing touches, and obsessively primp and polish my new space. When I spend time with family and friends, all I want to do is talk about my granite, light fixtures and tile choices, not to mention the trials and tribulations of getting to this point. I’m like the new mom who can’t stop talking shop. It’s likely to get annoying soon, if it isn’t already.
While there is enough amnesia involved in real labor to convince you to do it all over again, I have to say that in this case, I am not at all ready to embark on another major renovation in the near future. That said, small projects that still need doing seem all the more feasible and affordable in comparison, though I doubt they will come close to feeling this momentous.
Integral in the completion of this project has been my mother-in-law, Candace McInerney, who has fed our family more nights than I can count; our friend and contractor, Dan Kennedy, who has invested many dedicated hours and survived my progesterone-fueled fits of rage; our friends, family and staff for providing plenty of moral support and sympathy; and the many talented people who have had a hand in making this kitchen the wonderful place that it now is!
