6:30 in the morning, and there’s pretty much nothing to do. All of our stuff is packed in boxes and come 8am our house will be a torrent of activity as the movers come to load it all on the truck.
For the past 7 years we have lived in the same house. It was the first house we bought. It welcomed both of our kiddos and was the staging area for so many memories we will hold dear for the rest of our lives.
Over the last couple of days, it’s been really important for me to make the house look perfect for the buyers that will move in this afternoon. Patching nail holes in the walls, making sure the lawn looks immaculate. Some of that is for the house’s sake. I want them to say all kinds of nice things about it when they move in so that its feelings don’t get hurt now that we are leaving it after so many years. And when I close the door for the last time this afternoon I want my last mental picture to be immaculate.
Part of my motivation is definitely centered on the buyers, though. A young couple is buying this house. It’s there first home. There is a lot about their situation that reminds me of ours when we moved in back in the day. I want this day to be one of the most joyous of their lives. I want them to feel pride when they step into their house for the first time. I want them to enjoy this house as much as we’ve enjoyed it over the years. .
It’s brick. It’s mortar. It’s wood. It’s plaster. It’s windows. It’s a yard. It’s cement. It’s carpet and rooms and lights and doors and in the end it’s so much more than that.
I’m thankful to have lived here. It’s been a good crib.
Renew and Restore
