You Should Be Here

This post is a slight deviation from my normal style of blogging as there will be no pictures, just words. Today Kellyn, Coby and I helped my parents haul out the remainder of the large items from Grandma Hazel's house. There are just a few small things left at her house and everything that is left is in the pool room. I also did a walk through of the house today and it was my first time seeing it completely empty. There are so many memories that I have in that house and I wanted to jot some of them down here (oldest to most recent):

• Grandma Hazel carrying me around the house and looking at different things. I particularly remember going out front and she would hold me up so I could touch the porch lights.
• Grandpa Vic showing me the mouse on the grandfather clock (both of which I now have in my apartment).
• The wicker swing on the patio...and it coming off the hook and flying across the patio with Kyle and I in it.
• Spending the night at their house and eating toast for breakfast. And always going to Kmart with Grandma after sleepovers and she let me pick out a toy.
• Grandma always "pushing" our car out of the driveway when we left.
• Going to get Grandma to take her for her birthday to get her ears pierced and we were having trouble convincing her to go...while our car slid backwards out of the driveway and into the neighbors tree. She didn't end up getting her ears pierced until years later.
• Christmas dinner every year...and Grandma's scalloped potatoes that should would get up at 5am to start making.
• Grandma & Grandpa's 50th anniversary party in 1992.
• Mom's 40th surprise birthday party in 1995 (Mom dropped me off for swim team and Grandma picked me up right away so I could go help decorate).
• Too many holiday get-togethers, birthday parties and showers to count.
• When I lived in NYC Grandma's house was always my first stop when I got home...and a few times I would run into her walking down the street to see me because she was so excited that I was home.
• Cooking dinner and playing rummikub after work.
• Grandma's 80th and 90th birthday parties.
• The last party Grandma had at her house where she ended it with "I guess the party is over."
• And finally today seeing Uriah run around the yard and knowing how much Grandma would have loved him and feeling sad that she never got to meet him.

I downloaded the new Cole Swindell song on iTunes a couple of days ago and I still often think "You should be here."

As this chapter gets closed on 2515 N 57th Street, I am reminded of these verses in Ecclesiastes:

For everything there is a seasons, 

a time for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant and a time to harvest.

A time to kill and a time to heal.

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to cry and a time to laugh.

A time to grieve and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

A time to search and a time to quit searching.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear and a time to mend.

A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate.

A time for war and a time for peace.