The House.

My mom called the other morning to tell me that she sold the house. It's a good thing, really it is. The house and the land are just too much for one woman to manage, and I really want her to be able to start fresh, to begin a new journey in life. With less snow to shovel and leaves to rake.

But holy fuck, I feel like I just found out that someone I love has died. The tears come and go, and I feel as if I was kicked hard in the chest if I think too much about it.

I remember Film Star's first Christmas, and we had a tree set up in the family room, and us kids were able to play freely in there for the first time, without fear of stepping on tools or nails.

I remember all the parties my parents threw, that eventually were able to spill over into rooms other than the kitchen and dining room, but never really did until the end of the night, when it was time to put on records and dance.

I will always fondly recall sitting around the kitchen table watching and listening to the adults tell stories, and play Trivial Pursuit ,not realizing that years later, it would be me sitting around that table with my friends, doing the exact same thing.

I will never forget the day that I came home from the City and realized that I couldn't see the house through the trees as I pulled in the driveway.

I will always smile when I think of the playhouse Dad built us and let us paint and decorate, just the way we wanted. It was so much bigger than the doghouse we had played in before!

I remember when Dad dug a small hole, put a tin can inside, gave me a golf club and let me go on to get one hole-in-one after another until nature closed that little hole up years later.

Sometimes I miss the crazy 70's flooring throughout the house. It's much classier now, but not as colorful.That lino was out of this world.

I think I buried a time capsule or two somewhere in the yard.

We all rejoiced when we finally had our very own bedrooms built, and didn't have to share.

I remember a time when there was no grass, no garage,no carpet and the exterior of the house was green, brown and white.

I will forever miss sitting around the campfire in the backyard, and peeing behind the shed so I didn't have to go inside.

So many memories.

But soon enough, there will be a new house, and the new memories are waiting for us.

I hope the new family appreciates the history of our home, and enjoy it as much as we have.

Oh, and they can keep the ghosts.