Friday, May 7, 2010

The House That Built Me

One of the bittersweet things I have to deal with is visiting my folks house without them in it. It was tough in the beginning but it is getting easier. Their home is beautiful. Built in 1972, it is the only home I ever knew, as I was born in 1973. It is a large home, brick finish, roughly 4500 sf and sits on 25 acres in Northern Georgia. Pines, tulip populars, cherry trees, azaleas, countless bulbs, tulips, lily's, mom and dad have gradually landscaped it over all of these years. It hurts me that they can't be there. It also haunts me, in a good way, with a lifetime of memories.

I, of course, still deal with daily grief, I actually call it "survivors guilt" related to my parents as well as the day-to-day stuff related to managing both their estate and their health. Recently I heard a song by Miranda Lambert called "The House That Built Me" Listening to that song literally heals my soul. It entirely describes how I feel when I visit their house and my late grandmother's house which is right next door. I am including a link to a youtube video of Miranda Lambert performing the song and talking about the beauty of the songs lyrics. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

3 comments:

John H. Pruett, Jr. said...

So, cant edit the post but "survivors grief" was supposed to read "survivors guilt"

Enjoy the video!

Joseph J. Sivak MD said...

.....and like magic, it now does, great post John, I can totally relate.....my father died a year before my mother was diagnosed, and then 2 years after that my mother went to NH, so at 18 the only home I ever knew was gone.

John H. Pruett, Jr. said...

Hey! thx! the land my folks house sits on, actually been in the family since 1928. We have some history there:)

Talking about the book with the Lake Superior wind....... a calm day