In late November I drove past a townhouse for sale in Sidney and something told me to stop. I took a picture of the “For Sale” sign with my phone and moments later I was talking to the realtor, setting up an appointment to view the home that afternoon.
As I wandered through the empty space I suddenly knew that it was finally time to move; it was time to downsize. Immediately, many thoughts ran through my mind: what would my kids think about leaving our acreage and access to plenty of space, memories of years of fun on the trampoline and our many runs at the basketball hoop? It would all have to go; it would all have to change.
Then came all the decluttering! In less than three days we cleared everything out, the realtor brought in a stager, the painter fixed a few spots and voilà! We were as ready as we would ever be for the world to see our precious home.
It’s a bit daunting. I can’t remember having experienced anything like this before. After 14 years of living here, basically since the kids were babies, we will now wait in anticipation to see who will want our home. To some people, moving is up there with divorce and the death of a loved one; it can be a stressful, time-consuming and emotionally crippling undertaking. I wouldn’t go that far, but time consuming? Definitely.
The reaction to my move has been interesting. Some friends think I’ve lost my mind. “Your house is so beautiful!” they say. “It has everything you need!” I explain my thoughts, but they can see the duality of my feelings: I want to move and yet I don’t. Our homes are more than financial assets; they can have deep emotional meaning. A home is a place where we played and argued and hung our artwork and marked the walls with pencil lines as we grew taller.
Soon we will go, closing the door for the last time, and my house will no longer be my home: it will just be a place in which I once lived. I am feeling good right now, but I’m not sure how I will feel once reality sets in and it sells. Will I come back and stand outside and gaze inward? Will I ever experience the same connection to another house?
What I do know is that it’s time. In the end, I will nurture my family and be their home, wherever we go. Here’s to a New Year and a New Home!
Happy New Year from all of us at Seaside Magazine!
