But We Stayed

Having brought up, housed, and sent to school three city kids, I have spent years wondering, and listening to others wonder for me, why we haven't moved out to live in a house with a garage and a yard, where everything would presumably be easier (not to mention, cheaper).
 
And then today happens, a day that is so hot that sweat blinds me within moments of my leaving home, when all I'd like to do is go from an air-conditioned house to an air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned mall. Instead, we walk, trying to stay on the shady side of each street, to the park where Broadway actors are performing for free, to one of the many stores where we can buy a drink for the walk, to the grocery that is just steps from our building--no need for car keys or parking, to our lobby, where a long time doorman welcomes us home. And though I am sweatier than I might be, and I come home to a space that is smaller than it might be, and I shop at stores that are more expensive than they might be, it is on a day like today that I see why we stayed. It's not always easier, but there are Broadway performers in the park. It's not always prettier, but there is exercise without even trying. It's not always perfect, but it is home. And for now, for today, that makes it worth staying.