Confession Tuesday

It's Tuesday! Time for your confessions. Share a bit of yourself with us and we promise to do the same.

This past weekend, my whole world changed with the purchase of a new front door.

For the last seven years I have lived with this old, hollow, wooden door, most likely the original that came with the house when it was first built. It's an eyesore. It sticks. The doorknob is loose, but I've never been motivated to change it.

When I lived here with my husband (now my ex-husband), it was always on our list to change it but we never did. That's true also about most of the house projects. We never made any significant changes during our marriage. Most of the walls are white. Things that needed repair always had workarounds but were never actually fixed. Why? Kids, job, life--everything seemed more important than a stupid door. Just looking at that big, brown door reminded me of how things never ever changed, and if it did, they rarely changed for the better.

But this past month, a friend offered to help me with some home repairs. The door was first on my list. Changing a door is a small enough task to be completed in a weekend but large enough to make you feel like you've accomplished something. So, without further adu, here's the new door.

May not seem like much, but now Alex and Ella can look outside. The lock is easy enough for them to turn, and they now have their own keys, which thrills them to no end! The glass panel lets in all sorts of light where a dark corner stood. It opens up a world of possibilities for what the living room could be--and what our lives could be. The new door represents change for the better. Maybe most important, it was a project I initiated and finished on my own. My eyes well up when I look through the faux stained glass window. I see spring. I see hope. I see a new beginning.

Looking forward to making more changes around the house this summer.

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The name January comes from the Roman god Janus, the god of gates, doorways, transitions, and new beginnings. I've been trying to write a poem about Janus and the name January for years but haven't had any success. Now may be the time to try again.

(FYI, my dad chose my name; I'm quite sure Roman mythology was not on his mind as he was deciding what to call me.)

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National Poetry Month is almost upon us. What are you doing this April to celebrate? Are you giving or going to lots of readings? Are you reading poetry in your book club? Will you participate in a month-long poem-a-day project? Do tell!

I will be writing a poem a day in April (GULP!). Who's with me?