rearrange, realign

Growing up, I rearranged my room approximately once every two months. I would get the urge, minimally think about it and start moving things around. Lasting usually until about two o'clock in the morning, a new beginning in my room's history would take place. I would start getting the itch, the need to rearrange, to change, to start anew. I would uncover found treasures and heartaches as I cleaned under the bed and from old drawers. I would pause and reflect as I created a fresh, new space.

Last night took me back to those late Friday and Saturday nights rearranging my room. Sunday had found us moving most of Dan's possessions into our house, haphazardly intermingling with furniture and scattered piles that had been in places for weeks and months. Last night we spent time rearranging. Unpacking, moving, cleaning, realigning lives. As difficult as it can be to have someone elses things move into my space (because space is a holy thing in the United States) moving your possessions into unknown space is possibly more intimidating.

Which is where the idea of realigning comes into play. No longer are we independently arranging our lives around our priorities, we are rearranging our lives together. In order for Dan and I to synthesize, we have to realign our priorities. And isn't this the definition of love? Your priorities are realigned, the focus comes off of you and your things (or your precious space) and moves towards the idea of an other, or in this case: an us. A new life. A life moving beyond where we are now. This realignment takes time, as Dan continually reminds me. Our couches won't look like they match, space will probably be an occasional issue until we figure out our pattern, our routine, our understanding of this new life becomes just life as we know it. It may be years until our living room looks like a cohesive whole. But until then, the fragments of our single lives are coming together, fusing, aligning, creating a pictures of who we are from who we have always been. For the moment, the parameters are clearer but in time the "us" will shine through even more.

I'm excited. I'm weary from moving. Weary from rearranging. But invigorated still. Our lives coming together to create something of beauty. May it always be so.