Dinner on the Table at 6

My family moved into this 2 story home in 1962 when I was in the 6th grade. Many memories were made there through the years. The days went fast and then I was getting married and leaving home for the first time when I was a mere 17 years old. Leaving was not hard...I was starting a new life and that excitement far overshadowed the thought that this was not home anymore. But then I realized through the years...this house was home and would always be home. Home where we had outdoor cookouts, family reunions, and holiday gatherings. The house where my oldest daughter spent her first Christmas Eve when she was only 18 hours old. The house where 2 siblings got married....one inside the house and one in the large backyard. The only house where 10 grandchildren and 11 great grands would visit Meno and Pawpaw. And yes...the house where Mom and then Dad spent their last day before leaving for their eternal home. Sadly the time had come to let someone else make memories here. Piece by piece as their belongings left the house.....a little part of my heart broke.

How do you part with 47 years of ....HOME.

Home ...the gathering place....the common ground. You remember the years and take with you all the good times, laughter, sadness and memories that you have stored in your heart.

On May 31, 2009 I picked one last rose from Daddy's rosebush in the front yard. I walked through the house one last time.....remembering. I walked out the door.....leaving home again for the last time ....closing another chapter in my Book of Life.