Moving

These photos were taken during the third week of December. The top one was made in Violet's room a few days before the movers came to pick everything up. In a previous post I made about moving I was lamenting having to pack up this very room. All of it is now somewhere between Alabama and Washington.

The photos below were taken right after the movers finished, so the house was completely empty. There are so many emotions that come with an empty home. Reflection, sadness, relief, anticipation. Every time we leave a home I can't help but linger in the empty rooms. Every sound echos off of the bare walls. I fondly remember memories from each room. I can't help but feel that I took my time there for granted. That I somehow let some of the memories slip away. That's just part of saying goodbye, even if you're not saying goodbye to a person. Every time we leave a home I have to say goodbye to a part of my life. It's not easy.

Every home we have lived in represents different things to me. Different mindsets, different emotions. Our first apartment represented courage and love. Our house in Texas represented independence and loneliness (Ben's deployment). Our house in Alabama represented womanhood and vulnerability. Every home we have lived in signifies growth.

Now we'll have a new home in Washington, ready to give us new memories and meaning. My hopes are just that we all stay happy and healthy as we enter these new unexplored waters. Beyond those things - I've learned - that's really all you need.