Two cats in the yard
(Oct. 14, 2005) 3 bedrooms, one bath, and one melancholy owner. Amenities include several new windows, one of which was replaced very recently due to a baseball shaped hole put there by a future major league pitcher. A fully carpeted flight of stairs which are capable of withstanding the tumbling of an 11 month old child without inflicting a single scratch on either of them. A beautiful deck built in the hot, summer sun which has hosted countless cookouts and quiet nights with a glass of wine. Walls that don’t talk, but that do contain countless words of wisdom, written on them by tiny hands, that would tell a story if they hadn’t been hidden by a few coats of paint. The large picture window in the living room features a spot centered directly in front of it that is just right for a Christmas tree. The plush, royal blue carpet in the living room is perfect for being strewn with wrapping paper and presents.
I have finally sold my house and as I sit here looking around at the big, wooden box that has contained my life for the last 13 years I can feel the ghosts of those memories in each and every room. Sadly those ghosts seem to be living things which will stay in this house as I move on. I wonder, when I move into the new home I’m buying, will I sense the ghosts of someone else’s life wandering those hallways? Although a house is just wood, steel, and mortar, when filled with memories it seems to be a living part of you. It is the place that has provided my physical and emotional security for most of my adult life. My children have never known another home and I’ve never known them in another home.
Gone will be the familiarity of knowing which step to avoid if you don’t want that loud squeak as you descend in the middle of a sleepless night. The 6th sense to instinctively avoid the sharp edge on the corner of the wall in the basement will no longer be there. No longer will I habitually know which door will need me to push down slightly as I pull it open to avoid sticking. I wonder, when I’m gone, will my house miss me as much as I will miss it?
Have a great Thursday! ~Phil
Lovely post! Good luck and have fun moving. Also- are these your cats? They look like characters! The mostly white cat appears to be saying: you wanna piece of me?? 😉
No they’re not my cats. I have one cat and one dog
Ah ok. Cool.
I just grabbed a pic of two cats online to go with the song title I used
Oh ok. They were adorb. 😉
What wonderful memories.
Thanks April!
Bitter sweet, Phil. Enjoy your new home.
Thank you Janet!
I’ve moved so rarely in my life that I can’t think of moving as anything but an exciting new adventure.
I can however see why you would feel a mixed bag of emotions as you are about to move on to the next chapter.
Good luck, Phil, for a smooth and drama-free move. Best wishes for a new chapter of great memories in your new home.
Thanks Joanne. As far as moves ago I think this one will be pretty easy. We’ve already owned the house were moving into, so we’ve been gradually moving things for about a month. And the other people won’t be moving into the house were selling until a week from now, so we have time to go back-and-forth and make sure we haven’t missed anything.
It makes a huge difference when there isn’t a tight time line involved!
In general I’ve been lucky with my two major moves as an adult. A lot of people have horror stories about all sorts of things going wrong.
Ah, best of luck with the move, Phil. I’ve lived in three houses in my married life too. I hope all goes well and that the new house will bring new memories as well as bring back some cherished old ones (Your wife’s parents’ house, right?) Anyway, wishing you well!
We’ve been in our house for 25 years, my mom, in hers, for over 50! Can you imagine if the walls could talk?!
Yes, I know what you mean. My parents had one house for many many years and my wife’s parents had one for 50 years. Unfortunately I won’t have had the same experience.
Beautifully written. I’ve never set foot in the house, but I feel like I know it. 🙂
Aww…thanks. That’s so nice of you to say!