I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat in front of this fireplace. Early mornings studying by its light, late nights cuddled up to its warmth…endless mugs of hot chocolate and then coffee, cups of juice and then glasses of prosecco, all consumed at its hearth.
When my mother made the decision to sell her home, I wasn’t surprised. Over the past 15 years it’s gone from housing a family of four, then three, then two, and now one. I didn’t think it’d feel like a loss. But sitting here and reminiscing over the evolution of this house in the past 40 years, I’m realizing how it changed constantly to meet our needs as a family, and in this moment it feels a lot like saying goodbye to an old friend.
It began as a pretty typical bungalo, but as our family grew, my parents added a double garage and converted the then current garage into a beautiful family room ( housing my favorite spot to sit 🔥) As we got older, the toy room in the basement became my brother’s bachelor pad, giving him sufficient space away from the prying eyes of his parents and pesky little sister. Walls have been painted and knocked down. Carpets have been ripped out (a good thing when you consider how many drinks were spilled by the bar downstairs), and baseboards replaced after being chewed by not one, but two puppies.
I’ve had endless firsts in this house…everything from first words to first mmmmm maybe I should keep that to myself 🤭 I’ve survived broken hearts, cried a million tears, laughed until it hurt and celebrated some of my greatest achievements all right here.
All that being said, truth be told, this house is just bricks and mortar. It’s the people who were in it who made it my home. While I’ll miss this spot in front of the fireplace, it’s the memories of the family and friends who sat here with me that made it special…and those can never be sold.
#byebyedearbourne
Side note – Yes, I did turn the fireplace on in 25 degree weather so I could bid it a proper farewell. 🥵
The Zuf Truth 