Saying goodbye

       Some of you may know that my dad suffered a stroke in 2009 and he is currently in an assisted living facility. He has aspirations to walk again and live on his own at some point which I encourage and support. Unfortunately right now that is not an option and therefore his property and house are somewhat abandoned. He decided to sell the place about a year ago because he is unable to maintain it at this point and now there is a buyer. The closing is coming up and so I had to make the trip down there to clean out the house and put my dad's stuff in storage.

       I figured I would feel some sort of emotion while I was there but I definitely didn't anticipate the level of sadness that I would feel. The memories that were evoked while working in each room and walking around the 3 acres on that rainy day were very intense and surprising. The new owners have plans to bulldoze the house and start from scratch with the land which made things even worse. Once the work was done I decided to walk around and take a few pictures..

My dad probably spent 90% of his life outside. A lot of it sitting

in his favorite spot on this porch next to his shed.

 

 

 

This is the tree that was struck by lightning while I was walking

 towards it during a storm in 1996. I have no idea why I was outside..

 

This is the best climbing tree in the history of the world. It's a magnolia tree

that has to be several hundred years old. I spent a lot of time up there as a kid.

 

 This is the swing that my dad and I built shortly after we moved in back in

1989. There was never a better tool hander than I was...ever.

 The swing is still standing strong after all this time.

 

 A porch swing out in front of the house. It is worn down by time.

Worn down by life too I suppose.

 

But there is hope for the future....

 

 

         Although I'll never again walk through that house, play in that tree, swing on that swing, sit with my dad in his favorite spot on that porch, I am comforted in the fact that there is a future for that place. Another family will live there. Another kid will climb in that tree and hopefully appreciate it the way I did. Life will occur in this place again, and it will be a happy life.