Stream of Consciousness Sunday- Five minutes so lets go! And don't touch a thing.
Today’s (Optional) Writing
Prompt: What is going home like for you?
Do you still live in your same hometown? What kind of memories do you have
associated with the place you grew up?
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I feel very differently about what “home” is now.
More so than an other time in my life before.
I grew up about 5 miles from where we are now and
we’ve lived in our village here for 20 years. That’s a really long
time! I still go to the same mall, run errands at some of the same places, eat at some of the same restaurants, etc. (it's not as boring as it sounds, really!) It feels cozy to me.
Maybe I’ve gravitated to places that have the same cozy vibe.
I
grew up in a western suburb of Chicago that was set up into blocks and the
streets were beautifully tree lined with the top branches arching overhead creating a cool shade for us all summer long as we played in the street. Everyone played outside from the moment
the moms opened the screen doors until the bells started ringing for dinner. when it got dark, the night
games started kick the can, ditch and capture the flag. It was a pretty sweet
way to grow up. Thinking about that feels like “home” to me.
Where we live now is very much the same,
aesthetically for sure. Tree lined streets set up in blocks all feeding to the big park three doors from our house. Kids everywhere biking, playing hoops and messing around. Schools all
within walking distance. It’s a cozy little existence tucked into one square
mile, anchored by a tiny little town right on the train line to the city. We often call it Mayberry. It was a pretty sweet way to grow up for my kids. It feels like "home" to them.
Now for our dilemma...
Do you stay in the family
house forever? The cozy “home” your kids have really only known. Or do you downsize and move towns to save money on the taxes that made this sweet community our home for 20 years?
We decided during date night last night….”Home”
is wherever the four of us are. Simple as that.
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P.S. "Home" also includes two large Labs and the newest addition with whom I am currently obsessed. She's Henrietta and so fun to watch!
8 comments:
Totally agree that home is where your family is. You can plant roots and have new adventures anywhere. Plus, if you can save on taxes, that is more money you can have to create great memories with your family.
I totally agree too! Give me my family and it's home! And I'm laughing about Henrietta, do you know my Nana wanted me to name Matthew Henrietta? My dad's name was Henry, nice old fashioned name right? But really if he was a girl Henrietta?? I think Nana was nipping on to much cough syrup, so we named gave Matthew the middle name Henry. Thank the Lord he was a boy. Leave the name Henrietta for the fishes and cool classic cars....no offence to any Henrietta's out there :) just not my cup of tea!
I don't know as much about the west 'burbs, but if I could, I'd love to live in Oak Park one day and just bond with Ernest Hemingway's childhood home.
Exactly what I think. I smell a great trip with all that saved dough!!!
That's all it takes. As long as we're all good and together it's a done deal!
Your Nana is too funny. Nipping on the syrup! I LOVE the name Henry. Henrietta...not so much. I promised my dad that my Matthew would be named Genevieve if he were a girl because my grandmother died when Matthew became more than a twinkle in his dad's eye ;-). Luckily...
I love Oak Park. It has a city feeling without being "in" the city. Good restaurants, shops. Lots of fun history in that 'burb.
I knew there was a but coming, or as you put it - a dilemma. It really didn't bother me at all that my parents moved. The move to their new house coincided with the birth of my son. The new house had a room for him, not one that belong to me or my brother. So that was kind of sweet. You neighborhood sounds ideal though. You better hurry up and leave before grandchildren ever come into the picture. Then you'll be looking at it with "ideal" eyes and not realistic ones.
There's nothing like the new tax bill (home values go down and the tax rate goes up) to motivate a finance guy to make some changes. Plus, it's too much space for just us (and the kids, or me, not living here in the summers).
Just chatted with my daughter this past weekend about such matters. No weddings for a long time. Grandchildren? Ten years, please. However, she doesn't like being told what to do so I should just keep my big mouth shut.
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