Fresh Karma

posted by Momo Fali on August 18, 2014

I woke up early this morning and thought (because it’s all-consuming right now) about this move to a new home. This time it wasn’t the sentimentality that hit me – I’ve come to terms with the fact that we’re leaving our house of 17 years and it doesn’t matter where we are, as long as we are together we will make it a home. That’s sappier than a pine tree, but true.

And, it wasn’t about the work going on in the house – we’ve finished tearing out carpet, landscaping, a good friend installed a new shower, the painters are almost finished, new floors will be down by the end of the week – I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It was about karma and how, as Justin Timberlake so eloquently says, “What goes around comes back around.” I love it when he gets philosophical.

I’d like to say that when I was young I was the picture of manners and kindness, but as kids can be, I was occasionally mean. I didn’t say things to anyone’s face, but I did make fun of a few peers behind their backs. I still feel guilty about it 30+ years later. Kids, what you say to other people affects YOU, too. I was a jerk so you don’t have to be.

One of the fellow students I used to talk about was a boy who sat across from me in 7th grade art class. I made fun of him because he growled at me. Now, I have a son who growls, barks, chirps, flaps, and sometimes exhales so loudly that it sounds like there couldn’t be ONE BIT of air remaining in his lungs. That right there? Karma.

Then in high school, I gossiped about a girl who I thought was overly dramatic. I am now a blogger, so I’m pretty sure that covers the karma department, but last night my husband and I made a very overpriced offer on her current home. When I wrong someone, I pay them back in the 10s of thousands.

So, this morning as I thought of how things feel right and are falling into place because they are supposed to, I heard my husband yelling from the hall bath. I ran in to find one of the kids had clogged the toilet during the night and it was overflowing. There was an inch of water on the bathroom floor and I suddenly heard a familiar dripping sound in the kitchen downstairs.

I ran down to find water pouring through the FRESHLY PRIMED AND PAINTED kitchen ceiling. Never mind the soaking wet counter, cabinets, floor, appliances and cell phone, but the ceiling! I never did anything bad to someone’s kitchen ceiling! What kind of fresh karma is this?

Now that things are cleaned up and I’m bracing myself for the painter’s reaction, I’m wondering what will be coming back to me for the filthy cuss words that were flying from my mouth when I looked up and saw that ceiling. Because suddenly I’m thinking that a bird pooping squarely on my tongue is not going to be out of the question.

    Comments

  • Melisa


    OMG THAT IS ALL THE END.

  • Casey


    OMG. ACTUALLY.

    And I laughed out loud at the overly dramatic/blogger statement. HA.

  • Liz


    Put down my phone, and logged in on my laptop, to say this: As the Founder and Co-President of the FUBAR Club, it is with no regret that I inform you that we’ve terminated your membership…for good, dammit…and don’t come back. πŸ™

  • Shannon


    I will now be on the lookout for tongue pooping birds.

  • Mo at Mocadeaux


    Oh no! I’m so sorry this happened! We have had the leak through to the kitchen thing several times. We think we might have solved the problem (a poorly installed shower drain above) but it meant cutting a one-foot square out of the kitchen ceiling. I’m not repairing that until I’m sure the leak is GONE!
    Good luck!

  • Hallie Sawyer (@Hallie_Sawyer)


    Ugh. Sorry about the new chunk of karma coming your way. Let’s hope it comes in hummingbird size. πŸ™‚

  • Mama D


    Hey, if swearing brings retributory karma in the form of poop from the sky, in my own case I’m sure glad elephants don’t fly! Hang in there. πŸ™‚

  • Dee Dee


    Oh my goodness…Sometimes I think we came from the same mold. Your blogs often take words right out of my mouth. Good Luck on the move. We too are about to experience a move after 17 years.

  • AlisonH


    It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.

    And I once had water pouring through the ceiling on our first house, coming from the kitchen. Brand new house. The contractor had connected the water intake to the dishwasher but not the water outtake.

    Good luck!

  • AlisonH


    Oh honey I’m so sorry.

    And suddenly having flashbacks to when we had just repainted the living room to sell our house and my two year old was mad. He somehow got in the kitchen, opened the natural peanut butter with the oil floating on top, dipped his fingers in, and ran them down that wall. Because we were paying too much attention to the house and not him, I guess.

    I wish I could come over and help you redo that ceiling. Our wall took a lot of work but we did get it redone.