"Back where I come from, where I'll be when it's said and done..."

Last weekend, myself, the Hubster, my mama and my godmother took a trek across her yard to my grandparent's house, something we have done a million times. I don't know if it was the impending demolition of the "old girl" as well call her, or if I was just particularly emotional that day, but for the first time in my life, I did not feel joy when inside. I actually had to hold back tears the entire time we were there.

You see, this house sits on 24 acres that have been in our family for nearly 90 years and have been passed down through three generations. My great-grandparents built the house using scraps from an older creole style home since my great-grandmother wanted a "modern" home. They taught their children to live off the land and actually paid for the property in one year with a special plow (that we still have to this day and I have been sworn NEVER to sell). I grew up understanding that this place was special and different and often referred to it as "my favorite place in the world." It's funny, almost 27 years later, I still feel the same way.

Pulling into that old gravel driveway brings back so many memories of my childhood and now, even my young adulthood. My grandfather passed away 10 years ago and my grandmother went to be with him 3 years ago this month. It has taken us this long to clean out the "old girl", but I think we are almost there.

A house that stood strong for so many years is slowly starting to slip away. Rain storms have peeled back the tin on her roof which has left her open to taking on water and I'm sure mold and mildew will soon follow. It is hard to see a place that remains so near and dear to my heart in such condition, with tiles hanging from her ceiling and sky even visible in some places. We will soon be getting her torn down, which will be a sad process for us all. I do find comfort and happiness in the fact that one day we will move home to the Island.

When the property is ours, we will be the 4th and our children the 5th generation to live here. Just typing those words make me smile... Here we will build a house where the "old girl" now stands and raise our family to adore and respect this place as much as we do. I can imagine our children picking socos off the vine in the side yard, eating figs fresh off the tree, climbing the branches of the old pear tree, and learning how to drive in the back pasture, just as I did. Until that day, I will hold on to the memories I have while continuing to make more and more...