Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Saying Goodby to a House

I think I'll put my Little Pom girl here again, just because she makes me happy to see her. It must be time to paint again.
Yesterday, Adam and I drove back to Statesville for a few hours to clean some more stuff out of the house. It was a discouraging day for me. An empty house is a sad thing when you've left it; it's a fun thing when you're moving in. Philip was there for two weeks alone, with no furniture but an air mattress, a microwave, a lawn chair and a fan. There were dirty dishes, crumbs, trash, tall weeds and encroaching ivy, lots of junk that we couldn't take away. Adam and I crammed as much as we could in the back of the van, and drove back. It was hard to say goodbye.

We have such good memories from that house, in spite of the difficult five years in Statesville. As I swept the floor, I could almost hear the singing, the dogs barking, the conversations while cooking, the fun movies in the living room, jokes at the dining room table, the crackling of the fires in winter, the quiet breathing at night. I hate saying goodbye to a place that has held all those precious moments in our family's life.

It's hard to lose a house; we've never done that before. Hard not to be able to pay the mortgage, not to be able to mow the grass and keep it pretty, or to sell it to a new, excited owner. I feel we are deserting her, disappointing her. (If you love houses too, maybe you understand.) It feels like failure, all of it feels like failure. I don't mean to whine, but I want to say things that some people are afraid to say these days, but which are happening to many, many people. One consequence of this horrible economy will be empty homes with no one to live in them, and more tragically, families with no homes to live in. Estimates are uncertain, but some say that we've added as many as one million homeless people to our population during this recession. How thankful I am that we have family who will take us in! And more than that, loving family with plenty of room and gracious hearts. Not everyone is so blessed.

6 comments:

Pom Pom said...

Good for you, MK. You are very honest and forthright about the loss your family has endured. Those memories are firmly sealed in each family member's memory banks. I feel sure of it. Little Pom is so cute! You did a fantastic job with watercolors! I am getting ready to paint a dog. I am going to make her life size and she will go in the corner of my classroom. It has been so hot here and (shocker) the ac in my room isn't working, so by the end of the day I am completely wilted. Thinking of you and sending gobs of love!

M.K. said...

Pom, please post a pic of your doggie! I'd love to see her, and I bet your students will love having her in their classroom each day.

ann said...

I cannot imagine what your are going through. You did leave your home with dignity. We hear stories of homes destroyed by those who were forced to give them up. You have an honorable attitude and things will work out for you.

ginger said...

Hi MK-I'm moving, too. Different circumstances but similar feelings. I don't like going back & cleaning out an empty house at all. It's just sad for me. Would love it if you would pray for me. I will do for you. Ginger

M.K. said...

I will, Ginger. I'm sorry for your sadness -- may God wipe this away from our hearts.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Oh MK, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize. I have been feeling sad about our own move, but now I realize how lucky I am/we are. It is always sad to leave a home. I say prayers every day for things to get better for this country and for all who are suffering. HUGS