B, BA, BOM Day Seven

I am grateful for time and timing.

There are those that say, "Things happen for a reason", or "Things happen when they do, because the time was right." And, the grandfather of all time sayings, "Time is precious."

Maybe it's because I am officially a 49er, but lately, I have been reflecting on the timing of some of the events in my life. One of those events was the death of my mother.

As the housing market has plummeted throughout California, I reflect on the timing of my mother's death and the settling of her estate. A friend, who is a real estate broker, enjoys telling anyone who will listen, that he knows someone who sold their house the day the market peaked.

In 2005, houses in her neighborhood were selling in the low to mid-$300,000 range. I thought people buying 50-year old houses at those prices were nuts. (There were lots of houses that were newer and less money; just not in established neighborhoods). Mom's house needed LOTS of work, and we still had a bidding war and sold it for $245,000. Today, the houses in the neighborhood are selling for $175,000 tops and most are in the $125,000 to $150,000 range.

But, more importantly, the timing of her death also allowed me to sever a few familial relationships that were too toxic for my own well-being. Family are people you are related to by the chance of timing, but you truly do not have to like, love or associate with them. However, I am not certain I could have slashed those ties without baggage, had I tried earlier.

Today, due to timing, there is no baggage.