Every once in awhile, water leaks into the back corner of my basement.
There's carpet in that area, so the only way I can tell it happens is when I reach down and touch it.
It's never a large amount of water, and a circular fan does the job of drying it out pretty quickly.
But it's still an issue to be dealt with.
The first time it happened, the gutters had been frozen and were buried under the snow.
When the ice melted from the roof, the water had nowhere to go but down the walls and through the concrete.
When I cleared the snow around the gutters, it resolved the issue.
This last time water came in, though, the gutters were clear. At least from what I could see when I walked around the house and checked the downspouts.
It rained for several days and the carpet just wasn't completely drying out. I couldn't figure out what was wrong.
Until I went back to that corner of the house and took a deeper look.
Turns out the downspout extension had gotten disconnected. The landscaping in that corner made it hard to see it.
Water would have literally been running directly onto the rocks and down the corner of the basement instead of out into the yard.
Mystery solved.
Fixing that disconnection resolved my issue. The basement is dry again.
There's some work to be done to angle the rocks/soil so the water runs away from that corner so this doesn't continue to happen.
That will be my next home project (with a little help from my brother). Have to make sure to protect my foundation.
Looking at that downspout made me think though.
Sometimes we're disconnected like that too.
In places that it's hard to see.
We may not even realize it.
We just feel that nagging sense of something missing, something not quite right.
As human beings, we're wired for connection. We need social interaction and community.
And we've had a shortage of it for a long time now.
Many of us have been like that downspout, disconnected, hidden behind the branches and the clutter of our lives.
It can be easy for that to happen, even where there isn't a global pandemic.
We get so caught up in the stress and pressure of our lives that we forget to get out and be with other people.
We forget to let people in.
We forget that we're all in this together.
This weekend, I'm remembering that.
Spending time with some of the people that matter most to me. Enjoying the sunshine and the laughter.
The hugs and the snuggles with the little ones. The giant bonfire and the late night walks around the pond.
And of course, the family volleyball games. The next generation of cousins are old enough (and tall enough) to be competition for us now.
I couldn't be more grateful for this life and these people.
One of my favorite authors said it perfectly - "Connection gives purpose and meaning to our lives." - Brene Brown
I hope that you are connecting this weekend too.
Finding ways to fill your cup, to lift your spirits, to celebrate with family and friends.
And doing the things that help you feel purposeful and find meaning in life.
It's one of the best ways to keep your foundation from crumbling.
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