The Vacant House

Since the start of this disastrous Great Recession, the news has been rife with record numbers of home foreclosures. As with many things, the reality of it seems very far away until one day, it parks itself squarely in front of you. No, we aren't losing our house. Yet. But a dear friend and her husband just lost their home of many years to foreclosure.

As I pass their former home, I'm struck by the memories and what had been the comfort that they were always there. Our friends knew our children since babyhood. Both families watched each others children grow up. Her kids moved on and started their own families. Mine are finishing up school and taking those first steps into adulthood.

In the twenty plus years we knew each other, there were births of children, litters of puppies, deaths of loved ones, illnesses overcome, swapped recipes and garden tips, prom nights, graduations, Christmas decorations and Halloween candy. A ready and helpful hand was only a phone call away.

The empty house echos its past. And like all empty houses, it awaits another family to claim it as their home and begin a new set of memories.

Our beloved friends are starting a new chapter in their lives. Even though they no longer live nearby, they will always live in our hearts. We miss them terribly and hope that their path becomes brighter and better with each passing day.