We closed the sale on my parents' house today. Even though Dad has been gone almost three years now, and Mom has been gone more than eight and a half, this somehow felt like losing them all over again.
I took the kids over on Sunday to wrap up a couple of loose ends and took some final pictures of the only place most of them remember as their maternal grandparents' home. Both Zach and Savannah were a bit sad that all the cousins who had gathered in that house were not there for those final pictures. My hope is to hire a pro to get family pictures and to take the cousins picture again soon.
It was the place of egg hunts and holiday gatherings. Joshua's fireworks shows. Grandpa's junk food stash that was always open for the kids to raid. It was the place where Mom might join the family in a Wii game. I can remember the exact spot where I set up my first cell phone and the exact spot where I sat when I learned that Mom had pancreatic cancer. It was a refuge in the storms. Even last year, my family slept out a power outage on a really cold night in that cozy basement. It's just a house - a thing of this world, but many memories were made in the 15 years since my parents purchased that home.
I am reminded that this life is but a vapor, and a glorious reunion awaits us. Oh to hasten the day! I know it will come in a blink. I plan to be present in the here and now and to seek joy in every day.
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