Chapter III: Life After Loss

It was surprisingly easy for me to say goodbye to my childhood home. I’ll admit that I am a bit of a packrat, but it’s because I am an extremely nostalgic person and I didn’t think I was ready to let everything go. What do you keep? What really matters in the end?

Fortunately for me, my mother shared a beautiful secret with us before she died. She explained that, “The people you love live on inside of you; in your memories, in your soul, the little things you do, the little things you think, and the way you think.” I am my mother’s daughter—and I get to keep that with me forever.

Once the house was empty, there were no signs of who had been there and the memories and experiences that had unfolded. It was no longer our home; it was just a house. My room was a blank slate and a new family would move in and create their own memories; perhaps have their own joy and sadness, just like we did.