Moving On

When my mom moved into a nursing home a few years ago, we had to empty out the contents of her house and sell it.  Every once in awhile I drive by that house that we grew up in, just to check on its condition.

Recently when I went by it, I was surprised by the neighbor’s backyard that abuts my mom’s driveway.  On this city lot, the abandoned neighbor’s house, long ago run into by a car, has sat vacant forever.  The trees and brush of their backyard now look like mini woods.

I remember sitting on the blocks lining the sidewalk so many years ago as I painfully said goodbye to my childhood friend who was moving away.

Now the sidewalk can barely be seen!

Childhood homes and neighborhoods carry so many memories, for those of us lucky enough to have them. 

I was watching an exit interview with President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle recently, and Mrs. Obama said something I had never considered.

As they were preparing to leave the White House at the time of the interview, they were asked how they felt about leaving.  She mentioned, among other things, that her girls really liked their rooms, but one of them had mentioned feeling sad that they would not have this home where they spent eight years of their childhood, to come back to.

Sometime after we sold our first home, it was being re-sold and we were able to walk through it once again.  Our youngest at the time we moved was five; we made many happy memories there.  The hill that the kids used to roll down seems so small now.  You can barely see the neighbor’s sandbox they used to play in—again because of overgrown bushes!

It was hard to leave our first home and I still remember the last night we spent there on mattresses on the living room floor. 

As special as homes can be—especially first homes—we do not leave our memories in them when we leave.  We take them with us like a running movie in our head—the kids barely able to reach the kitchen sink; the pretend tea parties; even the etched glass my husband installed in the kitchen.

I guess that’s the thing about life.  We move forward and continue to add new, beautiful memories to the past ones. Our family has grown since then and we have had wonderful times in our new house.

When you think about it, our churches are places where we gather with family and make memories as well.  If you have not found a church community yet with whom you can celebrate weddings, baptisms and even gather for funerals, you are really missing something.

Why not begin your search—today? 

Go out there and make new friends and create more memories in a church community where you will find love and peace, Jesus and salvation! 

It can only add more beauty to your life.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com
janetcassidy.blubrry.net (podcasts)