My parents sold their house today. It wasn’t unexpected. The house has been on the market for months and they accepted an offer three weeks ago. Today, the banks approved the buyers loan. There are no more what-ifs…. the house is gone. I don’t really know how I feel about it. I only actually lived there for 4 years. My parents have lived there for almost 17 years. I was there from 15 to 18 and I suppose I did a lot of growing up in that house. I left to travel and on my return I met my husband. That was the house I lived in when I met the man I would one day marry. I had a number of dreams in that house and the house saw my dreams change.

My kids have both played in that house. My son took his first steps in the lounge. He learnt to ride a bike in the back yard.

I watched my grandmother die in her room in that house.

I had parties as a teenager in that house and parties as an adult with children there.

The memories of that house will be forever filled with love, laughter and sadness.

A home is more then an empty vessel. Its the thousand irreplaceable memories that filled your time there. It wasn’t my childhood home, but it was the home that was filled with the happiest memories.

It was the gathering place for the happy and sad occasions that mark the passing of time.

I am unsure about going back one last time. Life is very busy here right now. My son gets sick every time we return to that town. It won’t be the same home anymore, it will be filled with packing boxes.

At the same time, a part of me wants to go and say goodbye to all the memories. One last moment to leave the ghosts of the past behind.

I am still undecided but one thing is for sure, a chapter in my life is closing for the last time.

I know that it is time to move on for my parents. They have found an awesome little house just a few kilometers away from us. They will be happy here.

You leave the home but you take all the memories with you.