To The Woman Who Owned My House,
My family and I looked at many houses during our search for a home to begin the next chapter of our lives. Some were professionally decorated, perfect paint colors and gleaming hardwood floors fit for the glossy pages of a magazine. Some felt like the word "home" would never find a home in my heart as I walked from room to room trying to imagine my family in them. When we first visited your home it was apparent it needed a little TLC, but not enough to turn us off to it. You see, I had already gathered you were recently divorced and had been living in the home on your own with your youngest of three children for a while so I expected some wear and tear to be evident as I imagined touch up paint and home maintenance may not have been at the top of your priorities nor possibly in your budget.
As we walked through your home, I saw the carpet that needed replacing, the walls that needed a fresh coat of paint and the landscaping that needed some sprucing up. I also saw years of love, of life and memories on the walls (your children's growth chart marked on the door frame in the pantry brought tears to my eyes).
As we continued our home search, we began to refer to your house as "the one with good bones, a solid house with great potential that just needed a little TLC" and came back for a second visit as we moved along in the decision process. With each visit, I began to envision tucking my children in at night, each in their new bedrooms and walking down the hall to the master bedroom to wrap up another full day of living in our new home. I could see us around the table in our new dining room, enjoying home cooked meals and conversation. As I slowly made my way through your home, the picture began to take shape as each scene painted the house as my home. With each step I took, I could more clearly see my family creating memories in each room much like yours did through the years.
At the closing, you rushed in late, looking a bit out of sorts. You ran back out to the car, having forgotten something. I watched you through the conference room window and tried to imagine what you were feeling. I felt sad that the end of your chapter was the beginning of mine as though I was taking something from you that didn't belong to me.
I suppose that's just how it is.
Life is an endless revolving door of experiences where one person exits and the other enters. Each compartment only allowing for one person to be fully present in that moment.
You took a deep breath as you settled in across the large, mahogany table from me, and only then did you look at us. In that moment, I wondered what was going through your mind as you took in my husband, myself and our children. Were you taken over by flashbacks of your own family, once intact, as you raised your children in the home that was about to become ours? As you handed the keys over, after documents were covered in ink, I saw tears in your eyes. I wanted to stand, make my way to you and give you a hug. Instead, I simply said, "Thank you. Know that we are excited to make this our home and will create many happy memories in it."
After we moved in, you and I texted about forwarded mail, trash pickup, etc. You could have ignored my queries as I'm sure you didn't need to prolong the transition into your new life. I could have ignored your messages when your cat went missing and you were sure she had tried to come "home" once again. We didn't.
As the weeks came and went, text messages became a bit more personal as we asked each other how we were settling in, how the kids were adjusting, how we were adapting to our morning cup of coffee in a new place. With each new message, I could see the transformation in you as you went from a woman whose life experiences had her doubting her future, hesitantly closing the door on a life lived and taking her first steps into the unknown to a woman who has not only embraced her new place but ultimately her new place in life.
I want you to know that your home has become our home. We have embraced it with love and excitement and already creating memories we will carry for a lifetime. We may have painted, re-decorated and spruced things up a bit, but we were right when we described this house as "one with good bones, a solid house with great potential that just needed a little TLC."
Apparently, that description fits the prior owner as well.
Sincerely,
The Woman Who Has Made This House A Home
This post originally appeared on Leah's blog, http://www.littlemisswordy.com as part of the movement #1000speak.