Out of the rain and into the sun

Those were happy, happy days. No worries. No great concerns over the real estate market. There was enough cake for everyone and we jumped up and down in joyous celebration. Interest rates had not been this good in almost forty years. Sellers gleefully asked us to put  "for sale' signs in their front yards and buyers were approved for home loans at an astronomical rate. Yes, those were happy, happy days.

One day, a sunny, sunny day, some of us watched ,in denial and bewilderment, as dark clouds rolled in, far in the horizon. We said this could not be happening, shaking our fists to the heavens. We told eachother maybe the storm would blow over and hit Buffalo instead, as is often the case (which tells me God wakes up every morning and says to himself, "How can I mess with Buffalo today?"). But the rain came and our tidy, little file folders got wet. I mean soaking wet. Some from raindrops and others from tears. Yes, that sunny, sunny day was gone.

First was the rain. Then came the thunder and lightning. Gusty winds knocked down our fleeting card house dreams and now it was time to seek shelter and dry off. We watched CNN and FOX, the parade of economists and analysts reporting the mayham and predicting floods and landslides. We knew we were doomed. The gig was up and our real estate bounty had been reduced to broken dreams and innocence lost.

But the sky can't fall forever. The rain must stop some time. And so it was that the rainbow did arch, splendid hues of violet, green and red carrying the sign of hope. Colors we longed for in the midst of the great flood. We finally came out. We came out and inspected the damage. We grieved over all that had been beautiful and pure, now laying in ruins, disbelief in our eyes. But we are a funny bunch. We have the tenacity and inner strenght not often found in nature. We are a tough bunch who can take a punch and laugh at adversity. We don't go down that easily. Not without a fight. So we tucked in our shirts and blouses, fixed our hair, put on a dazzling smile and went to work. We knew the sky can't fall forever.

We're back!