Winners and Losers

We're staying at an amazing lake house.

The space is amazing. 

The views are amazing. 

The fenced in yard with a swingset, play structure, and sandbox is amazing. 

The dock and floating dock are amazing. 

The inside gym is amazing.  I could go on and on. The place is our dream home. It even comes furnished with toys and games for the kids. What else could we ask for? This place is everything that we could ask for, and much that we wouldn't even think we could ask for. This home is perfect for our extended family of 12. We all have our own beds, and plenty of space to go to for some peace and quiet. I had no doubt when we walked in that this was the perfect place for us.

But the place makes me a little sad. Within 10 minutes of being here, a friendly and chatty neighbor gave us the down-low of why this place is on the rental market. The owners are going through a divorce, and they can't sell it yet, so they're trying to make a little money off of it before they do. The marriage, a relationship built for two, was entered by a third person. And a family fell apart.

We spent some time poking around into the nooks and crannies of this amazing place. And we found the unfinished attic where a lot of the kids' toys were stored. The little girl has the same name as HeyMama. She also loves pink and Princess stuff. She owns a doll set I was considering getting for HeyMama. Her artwork is on the wall. A photo of her and her family, from the back, is on the wall. This house, a dream home for us, has become a house of broken dreams for two young children. And it breaks my heart.

It won't ruin our ability to have a great time this week. It isn't. The kids have a case of perma-grin. The adults are all pretty happy too. I know that the memories created here this week will be happy ones for my family for years to come. But the happy memories created here for the other family will always be tinged with sorrow. This home is a small reminder that money can't buy happiness. And that dreams can shatter. And it makes me so sad for those kids...

 

 

 

 

The view of the upper deck while I'm drinking morning coffee.

The view from the upper deck while I'm drinking morning coffee. Yes, there are multiple decks.