I know it is technically your house now, but that house was my home for the past 16 years of my life. I grew up there. I made hundreds of memories there with a family I love.

Those walls have seen a lot. They’ve seen two children grow into adults and saw them off to college. There have been 5 pets and many fish. They’ve seen many firsts: first day of school, first jobs, first games/competitions etc. Unfortunately, it has seen its last of my family.

That house may no longer be my home, but to me, it’ll always have a special place in my heart. Yes, it was just a structure where my family sought shelter and lived, but to me, it means so much more. That is where I grew up. It was my comfort zone. I knew where the floor would creak in each room. I could probably identify how and when majority of the dinks and holes in the walls (now patched) occurred.

So to the family who lives in my house next:

Please take care of it. I know this may be a given considering a house is an investment, but it is one not to be taken lightly. Treat it with respect. It’s more than a structure with four walls.

Please make memories. Oftentimes when we’re busy, we forget to just reflect on how lucky we are and be grateful for what we have. So please, stop every once in a while and think about how thankful you should be to have a wonderful home and a family to fill it with. Please play board games and have movie nights together. My family and I had our fair share of game nights and movie nights, and those are some of my best memories, so please continue spending time with your family and making memories with them that’ll last for years.

Please enjoy it as much as I have. I didn’t really realize how much leaving would impact me. When I left for Clemson, I didn’t really think too much about it. Yes, I’d miss my home, but I would be able to come back to it, since it would always be there. Even while packing everything up, I didn’t really consider how much I was going to miss having a private space to hang out with my family. So I guess I’m asking you to embrace every moment you have in that house, whether happy or sad, because one day you’ll realize that you’ll go your separate ways. In a few years, I won’t be living under the same roof as my brother and parents anymore. Everything I know will have changed.

Please love my house. I know I did. I spent more time there than I’ve spent anywhere else in my life, so it holds many of my best and worst memories. I hope one day you can say the same about the house we now have in common.

Make some memories,

The previous resident