For Sale, for sale, for sale

Several months ago For Sale signs began going up on my street. Sign #1 was the house two doors down. The original owner, my neighbor, died several years ago. Her children, who grew up in the house, kept it and it sat empty for a couple of years before they finally gave it up. The buyer remodeled the entire house over the course of several months and then hung up a sign. So far no takers, but it is overpriced.

Sign #2 came from my neighbors across the street, who moved in the summer before their son started high school. The son grew up, moved out of state, and now my neighbors feel like downsizing both in cost and space. Two doors down from them and across from the first sign my 98 year old neighbor died. His son remodeled and up went sign #3.

The worst sign to go up was my next door neighbor's Howard. He is 93 years old. After a recent medical issue, his daughters took him home with them to recover. Once there, despite regaining his health, they encouraged him to stay. They found him an apartment in a retirement community and he returned to Florida to hang up sign #4. This week he returned to pack up his belongings.

The day that he and the moving van drove away it was dark and gloomy, and the air held a misty wetness. It matched the moods of those of us still left in the hood as we watched him drive off. For me, it was just another moment in my "over fifty life". I keep waiting for the exciting part of getting older, but for now it is just death, poor health, and people leaving. I've said more good-byes than I have said hellos, but this one was really tough.

Howard and his wife were the first people we met upon moving into our neighborhood. They welcomed us, befriended us, and were everything neighbors could be. They were a huge part of my reasoning when Tom wanted to move to a bigger property years ago. Howard and his wife were the first ones at our house when we brought Madison home and they came in the middle of the night to watch her when we left to birth Darcy. We have been together through the death of Howard's wife, the death of my father, Tom's father, and my mother. Howard has attended my children's various sporting events, plays, and talent shows. We have had garage sales together, dinner parties together, picnics, and birthdays together. I mean, this....

I have spent most of week crying since he left sad at the loss of a good neighbor, but more so for the loss of an even better friend. He will be fine. He is adaptable and friendly and will go out of his way to make his new life the best. He face timed me from Texas (and he texts too!) and took us around his new apartment in the retirement building. He joined an exercise group and is now volunteering at a local school helping kindergartners learn to read. I hear from him about once a week or more if I have news for him. He will probably return once more when his house sells and then I will have to say good-bye all over again.

Everyone deals with this whether it is family or neighbors. Times change. Circumstances change. Kids go off and grow older in lives without us. I will have to learn to adapt and to embrace the new things (and new neighbors). Thank goodness technology and travel allow me to keep in touch with everyone.

Bon voyage my dear Howard. Until we meet again whether in person or via face time.