A big move is coming. It may not be big in terms of distance or expense, but it’s big in other ways. Leaving our jobs we love so much, going from owning to renting, an adjustment to a new city, but the biggest of all is leaving the house where we brought our daughter home.
Our pregnancy announcement was on the door to her bedroom, the place where her nose has been wiped so many times, diapers changed regularly, countless nights of zero sleep were had, the nighttime songs were sung, and the walls filled with the moon and stars to remind her that she’s the brightest star in our sky.
The wide-open living room held dance parties and game nights, the dining room family dinners, and the kitchen regularly smelled of homemade bread.
It is our home because we have made it that way, and it is a sad thing to realize our daughter may never remember it.
What makes a house a home? It’s got to be more than four walls and beds to sleep in, although they are blessings I never want to take for granted. A home is where we are safe. Loved. Secure. A place the pets protect because their family is inside. A structure that holds those most important things in our lives. A home can – and will be – created again, but our old one will always hold a special place in our hearts. New memories will be made in the rental and even more added when we move again. No matter the number of moves and the places we live, each home has left (and will leave) a permanent mark in our lives.
As we prepare to say goodbye to this home, I want to reflect on our time here and also anticipate joy in the next one. How lucky are we to have lived somewhere that makes leaving so hard?
In the words of my toddler when we leave for school in the morning, “Goodbye home.” We’ll see you again soon.
