Strange Things Are Happening

I went to my old house this weekend and it changed. Throughout my life there, my mom has made various changes, repairs and upgrades. I never thought much of it until now. I’ve been out of the house for several years now but I visit regularly. I didn’t notice so much as she continued to change it after I left, but it really hit me this weekend. The first thing that jumps out is that the big tree that was in front of the house is gone. Some of the sidewalk is brand new. The hole in the backyard that was a swimming pool first and then a dumping ground for leaves and cuttings, is now a patch of dirt. The countertops and floor in the kitchen are not the same. It’s all so different. I went to get a plastic bag, and they weren’t where they were supposed to be. Strange.

I spent eighteen years of my life in that house, and it’s not so familiar anymore. I have to ask where things are or search for them when once upon a time I would have grabbed them without a second thought about their locations. In my apartment-changing, far from stable lifestyle, I’ve always of that place as home, and in a way it will always be that, but in a way it is not anymore. It’s kind of like a close friend you haven’t seen in years. When your paths recross, you still feel that closeness and that love, but its awkward because those years apart have made you guys strangers. So much has changed, but underneath all the change, so much is still the same.

Life goes on. I guess that’s the lesson here. You step away from something (or someone) and it doesn’t freeze. Life is constant change and we are surrounded by life – the lives of others and the life we give to the objects that surround us. Make sure you appreciate each and every moment because no matter how wonderful and fulfilling the next one will be, it won’t be quite the same.