The Darien Boat Club

We had the moving company come today to give my parents an estimate on what it would cost to move their things to Chicago.

I know that I should be feeling really emotional about the breaking up of our home, about losing a footprint in coastal Connecticut, which has always been home to me, about the passage of a chapter in my life. But, right now, I don't.
I don't have time. There is too much to do.

This week we have accomplished a lot. We got my dad back on his feet and into some personal training, or physical therapy, where he can work on building strength and gaining more flexibility. That was Tuesday.

Wednesday I measured out the size of the rooms in their new home and put string markings on the floor so that mom, dad and I could create furniture arrangements for the rooms in my parent's new home. I moved a lot of furniture. It was so much fun to see what pieces they can take with them and how it will look. We even took pictures. It just felt good to make decisions about what pieces to take and which ones to leave behind.

Thursday we had an Estate Sale Specialist come to the house, someone who has a great reputation in the area. I walked her through the house, showing her furniture, art and collectibles. She is interested in having a sale to help us dispose of our things. Boy, that would be great if she could.

Friday we needed to get out of the house because the buyers needed to bring in a building inspector into the house. So, we all went down to the local beach.

And, that's when it hit me. It happened as I walked from the car to the Boat Club. I stood on the pavement, looking at the boat slips below, remembering how much fun it was to have a boat when I was little, how much I enjoyed having a boat and how disappointed I was when my father decided to sell ours and not replace it. All of the joys and disappointments and hopes and celebrations and family moments were captured in that moment at the Boat Club. My childhood. Our family. My relationship to my family. Growing up in Darien, with all that that meant. We were closing a chapter -- the best of times, the worst of times, mostly good times. My eyes welled up and I walked on. Keep moving forward, I told myself, and don't look back.