This summer my mother will be moving. She's lived at her current residence for over fifty years. She and my dad designed the split-level ranch and went through many joys and traumas on that property.
She lives there alone and will be eighty this year. While her health has been good, she's not as spry as she once was and moving to a house with less stairs would be a good option.
The reason for her move has nothing to do with her health or mental state. The state wants to build a highway next to her house. The limited access highway will cut off access to her property. It will be too expensive to build a bridge for her and the other three residents of the area, so the state is buying the whole property. They will likely demolish the house, the barns and other outbuildings as well as eliminate the road that accesses it.
Things change. And the timing of this with my mother's age and health is probably good. Yet it is hard to wrap my head around the idea. The house I grew up in will no longer be there. We won't even be able to visit the property because the road will be gone. And when we see it, it will be unrecognizable. It will exist as it was only in my memory and right now that doesn't seem like enough.
Take pictures of it right now and have them all blown up into 8x10's. You'll never regret it.
ReplyDeleteThis same thing happened to me. I lived at the family beach house for 35 years and thought I would never leave, that my daughter would grow up there. We had to sell it and I was heartbroken. The only thing that saved me was the pictures.
What a life changing event for your mom and for you. Is she moving near you? It's sad, but I guess that's called progress? Try and look at it as a new beginning instead of an ending.
ReplyDeleteTaking pictures is a great idea. I need to take more pictures of my kids with my mom. I never remember to get out the camera when she visits.
ReplyDeleteMy mom will be moving across the street from my brother, so that will be good. He can keep an eye on her easily then.