Chocolate Balm for Raw Wounds

The house we left behind.

Three months later. The house standing in its place.

The wounds are still raw.

93 days ago, Bella and I walked through the deserted rooms of our house and bid them goodbye one by one. We held hands and told stories of the special event that took place in each, recommitting to memory the sight of the Christmas tree half-hidden by presents, the breakfast for dinner feasts, and the popcorn movie marathons. We wiped our tears and drove off to Ohio.

Thirteen weeks later, we headed back for a visit. We couldn't wait to reunite with all our friends. all our Our three day weekend was packed with plans to see as many friends as possible. There were sleepovers, birthday parties, lunch dates... But under all my excitement, I was worried.

I worried about how the kids would react to seeing our house invaded by strangers. And to be honest, I worried about how I would react.

But our house was gone. Not torn down, but so transformed that it was unrecognizable.

And when the new owners peeked out the front to see who was staring so intently at their home, I simply waved and went on my way. The house that they stood in was no longer mine.

That taken care of, we were able to move on to the less emotional parts of the visit:

• Chocolate feast at Chocolate by the Bald Man in New York.
• Bagels every morning.
• And reunions with beloved friends and babysitters.