Moving Out

Just a few hours ago my husband and my two daughters moved out of the house we lived in for the past 11 years.  In this house, my girls have grown up.  When we moved in my youngest was almost 2 and my oldest was 4.  We've spent years putting little girl toys and pretty things in their rooms and just as many years taking them out as they got older and wanted to be more grown up.  We've spent hours together at the dinner table, looking out the window at the waving trees, the field of corn, and the trains that greeted us many times throughout the day. We created an outdoor space that was oasis-like.  We could sit on our patio and listen to the birds sing their songs and the trees emulate the sound of the ocean waves.  We planted flowers and cared for them. We attempted a garden year after year and never fully succeeded. We played hide and seek among the 3 stories and 15 different rooms in the dark.  We shot each other with Nerf dart guns in battle.  It was most advantageous to stand at the top of the stairs and shoot at the other team trying to sneak up.

For 6 of the years we lived there, my neighbors were my students.  I would ride down the road on my pink cruiser and get waves and shouts from my students like I was a celebrity.  My girls made friends with the neighbor kids.  There were summers when the 4 of us rode down the street on our long-board skateboards.  We were certain we were the only thirty-something year-olds riding skateboards in our little town.  We believe we started a skateboarding trend.  All the kids are doing it now.

I experienced the onset of both of my illnesses in this house.  I got better in this house.  I turned 40 and had my 20th anniversary in this house. I changed jobs.  My husband changed jobs.  I gained relationships.  I visited with friends.  Family visited.  We had birthday parties, Christmases and just plain get-togethers.  Each year on the 4th of July we sat in our front yard as the tiny town parade went right by our house.  We waved at our friends as they rode by on horses.

I could go on.  This house has served us well.  It has been a safe place for us to grow and become the amazing people we are, but its time is up for us.  It is time for it to be someone else's home.  We aren't sad as we leave because each and every memory and moment will be with us forever.  We are thankful.  We are thankful for each day, each week, each month and each year.  We are thankful for the difficult and easy times, the good and the bad.  We are thankful for the journey we spent in this house, but now its time for something new.  Its time for the next part of the journey.  We say good-bye and thank you.  We are hopeful for the future and don't regret a moment.