#ELBlog #205: Easy Installation

My daughter has been asking recently about getting mirrored sliding doors for the closet in her room. She was hoping to make the space look bigger and not have the closet doors swing out so much. So, on a recent weekend, we had a little free time and stopped into Lowes. They actually had the size that fit her closet in stock. We reviewed the box for the specifications and then she excitedly pointed it out where it said easy installation. I actually laughed out loud and said “Claire, nothing’s ever easy.” She continued to say “look, Dad, all you need is a screwdriver, a drill, and a hacksaw.” I said “we’ll see.”

My daughter was very excited when we got home. She helped me carry the doors upstairs and actually removed the original doors herself. She prepped the area and then we began. Soon after starting we hit a few hurdles, had to make some adjustments, get some different tools, and improvise because the original opening was off. We trimmed, cut, bent, and I tried to limit the amount of cursing that I did in front of my impressionable daughter. I even pulled out a few “MacGyver” moves to make it all work.

While it was not an easy installation as the box had indicated, it wasn’t the worst either. 

I had a conversation with my daughter afterward and I told her that nothing is ever easy. Always be prepared to have challenges, things will pop up, and things that just don’t go your way. Sometimes in life, it is nice when there is an “easy installation” but most times in life it’s never like that. Life is more bending, cutting, trimming, and improvising because things didn’t work out as expected.

We have been laughing for the past few weeks because I continue to bring up the phrase “easy installation.  She nods and smiles and in her teenager voice says “I know Dad, I know, life‘s not easy!”

I was proud to have been able to install the doors with my daughter, as well as share some life lessons along the way. Keep rolling friends. If I can help you in any way, don’t hesitate to reach out.