Good Bye House

My dear friend Laurie's mother in law died this week. My sil Lauri lost her mother last week.  My mil recently and rather suddenly decided to move out of her home next door.  This was the home that my husband grew up in. The home that I was first introduced to the Olsen family and culture. The home that we visited and stayed in when we traveled to Manti. The home Milt's mom died in 30 years ago. The home his father died in 4 years ago.  The home that use to be a second home for us but with a second marriage and other children claiming it, it become just the neighbors.

Its funny how we come to love a place because of the memories and it can be hard to say goodbye. Change invites reminiscing and I am grateful for the fond memories that my children have shared. Even when really nothing has been what it was for years it was still Grandpa's house.  So this second wife is moving on.  She is not one to get attached to stuff but she has not been one to throw much out for years and her family has enjoyed the free storage space too.  They are mostly just tossing stuff into a trailer and hauling it off to the dump.  The house is returning to its bare bones.

Tonight the young men from church along with their leaders went over with a trailer to clean out a large 'chicken coop' shed that was filled with forgotten stuff.  Stuff that may have had a story at one time. Stuff that maybe could have been useful to someone else. A treasure. But none of it really matters.  Just like so many things in this life, we move on leaving the old behind and finding a new way to live and do things.  It leaves me a little sad to think about the past memories that are so easily forgotten, the items that spark memories to life again, and the need to just let go and look forward.

We can't go back to our childhood.The memories must be preserved and cherished without holding on to all the old stuff.  We will look forward to change and growth.  We will watch this house be sold and become the home of someone else so they can make their own memories.  We will look forward to new neighbors and the hope of a family that will love their new home and be a joyful addition to the block.

Good bye house. Thanks for the shelter, warmth, memories and love.