The Last Night

It’s almost 11 pm as I write this; our house – in which we lived for exactly 10 years – is almost empty. We’ve pretty much packed and moved everything; save for a few necessities that we will shove into a suitcase as we bid farewell to our home tomorrow.

I have to be honest, I never thought I’d ever see this day. The fact that we are moving and leaving this house forever hasn’t truly sunk in yet. The feeling’s almost bittersweet.  A part of me will always miss this place. Some day, either I or my children will drive by this house and reminisce all the wonderful times we had here. I know my children are not too happy about leaving; they consider this home their only home. And, could I blame them? This is the first place they came to (after the hospital, of course) the day they were born. No matter where they go, this small cozy house will always hold a piece of their hearts. It certainly will always hold mine.

When my husband and I first bought this house, I’d just turned 27 and was a newlywed. This was our first house together. I remember how excited we were when we received the keys to our house. I must say, though, that it wasn’t my dream house, but it was more than enough for the two of us at the time. I honestly did not expect us to live in this house for as long as we did. We loved the area due to its convenience; we were close to four major highways, countless amenities, and both the hospital and university were within walking distance. Not to mention that downtown Toronto was just 20 mins away. So, the fact that we were so close to everything made living in this house that much sweeter. We couldn’t have been happier or more grateful.

More importantly, this is a house in which we built our family. Pretty much from scratch! We have so many memories. So many firsts. The fondest memories are those of my children, of course. When I first brought them home from the hospital. And then my having to go on mat leave to stay home and take care of them. The first time they crawled in the living room (okay, my daughter started crawling for the first time in one of the bedrooms 😊); the first time they started walking (yes, both my children did so in the living room). And, then, the parties we threw, especially in our beautiful spacious backyard. The sleepovers. Movie nights. The late nights I worked on my term papers/theses/dissertation, as I’d gaze outside the large full-size windows overlooking our backyard. Sometimes I’d see the moon in full bloom, and it would inspire me to blog. I used to blog a lot, once upon a time ago. I’d also write a lot of poetry and paint.

When we first bought this house, I painted and created a lot of art. In fact, I even considered it a part time career at some point. I’d showcase my work in various art exhibits, in hopes that someone would like my art enough to buy it. I used to art into the wee hours of the morning, as I’d watch the sunrise from those lovely full-length windows. I know I will miss all this. And, I’ve already said this, but pardon me if I sound repetitive. I am just going through a roller coaster of emotions as I type this, and I have no idea how to fathom it all. So, if you’ve read this far, bear with me a little longer. 😊

Anyway, so the new house we are moving to soon is quite lovely. Stunning, in fact. It is, of course, much more spacious than our current (though, no longer ours) house, and it is just acres of beautiful land. It fills my heart will elation knowing that my children will experience their childhood in such a gorgeous house, surrounded by nothing but nature and quietude. I grew up a city girl my whole life, so I, too, am very much looking forward to experiencing this new life in the countryside. Our neighbours have horses too. How cool is that? Maybe hubby, my kids, and I can go over and introduce ourselves once we settle in. I might bake something for our new neighbours too. Though, with this whole Covid-19 situation still going strong, I am not exactly sure how our new neighbours will receive us. I am sure they won’t be rude, though. Well, at least I hope not.

I feel I am rambling. I should perhaps stop, and try to savour our last night in our old home. I must say she was very good to us, and I hope she makes her next dwellers as happy as she made us. ❤