Broken Arms and Empty Houses

Smiling kids, empty house.

We arrived in Ithaca on April 2. Before leaving Ithaca, we signed an agreement with the moving company that our stuff would arrive anytime between April 1-10. A few days ago we were told to expect our items to arrive April 11 - 1 day late. We thought no big deal.

Today the company called us to tell us that last night our driver fell off a ladder and broke his arm. They did not clarify why he was on a ladder and not behind the wheel. He underwent surgery today. His need for recovery means that all our stuff is sitting in the back of a moving van in Chicago Illinois, while his arm mends.

So, the moving company requires another driver. The driver they found is in Florida - he must be very special, because Florida is neither close to either Ithaca or Chicago.

We can now expect our stuff sometime between April 15-17.
By then, we will have spent 2 weeks in this sparsely furnished house.
We have a round church table, a few fold out church chairs and a couple of air mattresses ... and that's it.

We were so excited to have our stuff and be able to furnish our home tomorrow. To have those hopes postponed was beyond disappointing. I called the moving company back -they were deciding how to compensate us for this inconvenience.

They told us they could give us $100/day to be used toward hotels and restaurants.
It wasn't clear how that was actually supposed to help us. We want our stuff - after traveling across America, the last thing we want is to see the inside of yet another hotel room or consume another meal in a restaurant.

Instead, we asked if they would compensate us for such luxuries as bedding, towels, pots and pans. I was even bold enough to ask if I could purchase some more formal clothes, so I can attend church with more dignity then my denim jeans can muster up.

I think they'll get back to us tomorrow.

It's been interesting trying to process my emotions.
We do not feel settled in our home that is pretty much completely empty.
We are upset that the moving company couldn't fulfill what we had agreed to.

But, behind it all - there is a driver with a broken arm. He fell of a ladder.
Pretty sure that wasn't intentional.
So, my frustration subsides, as I allow empathy for the courier of my goods to flow through me.

I hope his arm heals soon.
I hope the special driver from Florida can somehow teleport our stuff over faster.
And I hope we remember homes are made through relationships, not the inanimate objects that fill them.
(Although, its easier to relax on a couch, then a metal chair).