Dear white house at the bottom of the street,
I am writing this to say thank you. Thank you for housing me for the past 18 years of my life. Thank you for being the place I took my first steps in, the place I had my first sleepover, the place I got my first bruise, the place I had my first heartbreak. You never realize how many memories you have in a place until you’re no longer there. My favorite memories with you are in the driveway. The imaginary chalk worlds I made with my friends. The invisible people of the town we made up. You housed them all. All the outdoor actives played on your lawn, and the indoor crafts made on your dining room table on rainy days. I miss them. Thank you for being a safe haven to come home to after a long day at school or sports practice. Thank you for having that same familiar scent every time I walked through your front door. Thank you for protecting me from every thunder and lighting storm. I don’t know how I’ll every repay you for that.
As I grew, you grew with me. The dining room table was the place I use to do my spelling homework, then became the place where I wrote all of my college applications. Your driveway was once the place I parked my bike, and now it’s the place where I park my car. Picture frames that once held my baby photos now hold my high school graduation photo. You are the one thing that I will never outgrow.
I miss being away from you while I’m off at school. I prepared myself for missing my friends, family, and dogs, but no one prepared me for missing you. Walking up the stairs at night to my dorm room after a long day does not even begin to compare to walking up the stairs at home and crashing on my bed. I don’t wake up to the smell of pancakes and bacon anymore. The sounds I hear out of my dorm room window are not the same. Everything is different, and while I was prepared for that, I wasn’t prepared for how different things would actually be.
Although I’m excited to come home and to come back to the familiar sights and smells and sounds, I have now come to the realization that you will not be my home forever. In the not so distant future I will move out permanently and start my own family in my own house. One day I will drive by and see a new family enjoying your front yard and new kids parking their bikes in your driveway. I’m not sure when this day will be, but I do know that I have more years with you behind me than I do in front of me. I’d like to think that I've made the most of them. You left your mark on me, and I know for sure I left my mark on you from all the stains on the carpets and the holes in the walls. And although the stains will come out and the holes can be painted over, the memories are ingrained forever. So, once again, thank you. Thank you for being the best childhood home anyone could ever wish to grow up in.
Sincerely,
A Former Resident
