It was almost 3 weeks ago that we left our home in Tyler, TX. We had so many families and individuals helping us those last few days (not to mention over the past 3 years) and probably the hardest part about leaving was not being able to thank them all the way I would have liked to.
I was a mess on the morning we pulled away. Hearing the echo of an empty house reminded me of how things were for months after we moved in--back when it was just RVC and we had very little furniture. She used to run around and hide in empty cupboards. There was a moment when I had gone back inside to do a final check around the house. I thought RVC was inside using the bathroom, but when I called her name, she didn't answer. Thinking, for some reason, that she might be hiding, I said, "If you can hear me, say 'mommy!'" Just then I heard a little voice in my head that was a much younger RVC. It really struck me that my three little ones had learned to say "Mommy" in that house. And many other memories flooded my mind. TEC was, I'm sure, a little worried about me when I came out the door to the van with tears streaming down my face, about to get behind the wheel and commence a long drive to Utah. Even RVC was doing her best to comfort her mom: "It's okay, Mom, we'll see our house again."
TEC and I talked later about how neither of us had been through the experience of moving on from a place, knowing that most things would continue on there without us. Graduating from college, law school, even leaving our missions to some degree, were all times when it was sad to say goodbye, but we knew others were moving on as well. Maybe it's partly knowing that I've left a place that took such good care of me at a time of my life when I felt particularly needy.
Maybe the best way to say goodbye to such a place is to, wherever I go, strive to be that kind of place for someone else.
A few of the things we miss about Tyler (if only we had enough photos to capture it all):
Bergfield Park, Whitehouse, Brookshires, Pollard etc.
Sister Pollard...and many other special people in the Tyler II ward
temple trips with the Sherrows
the best neighbors ever
blueberries...
parties at the Bell's...
game nights with Sandidges, Sherrows, Osbornes, etc...
4 comments:
Great post, Jodi, and a fine tribute. Your description of leaving the house, saying 'farewell' and recollecting the voices of yesteryear was a poignant portrayal of an obviously much-loved place. The physical spaces in which we live and labor can take on a spirit and personality of their own in our lives, and can be important and significant "characters" in the chapters thereof.
Here's to Tyler.
And here's to making a home filled with its own remarlable memories in a wonderful new place....
(Glad to see the Cundick Family blog up and running.)
p.s. I like the new tagline of the blog.
:)
This was a very touching post, Jodie! Your description reminded me of how I felt when we left our home on Oak Terrace.
You're lucky to you got to live there so long! We loved it there for our 11 short weeks. :)
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