1031 Bungalow Park

Today we hauled the next to last load of our belongings away from 1031 Bungalow Park Dr. To others this address, this place on the map where longitude and latitude come together, means nothing. To me, though, it’s a place that will be with me until the end.

For every one of us, life is a collection of spots on a map, places where two lines meet. At 1031 Bungalow Park you’ll find a two-story townhouse with a burgundy door near the end of a cul-de-sac. Standing by that front door, Kim and I shared our first kiss. Inside, we’d build a life together that started with me proposing in the kitchen. I know, not exactly romantic by any means, but thankfully she still managed to blurt out a “yes”.

Liam James would come home for the first time to 1031 Bungalow and Savanna Belle would knock out grades 2-4 just across the street at Scott’s Ridge, the school where I’d experience my first “Donuts with Dad” (it’s no coincidence this happened to coincide with the book fair…Dads are suckers and they know it). Rocket would become the neighborhood spokes-dog to 9 out of every 10 people and dogs that would move in or walk by. For that other 1 person, he became the neighborhood menace; his time in the woods with me, running free, not exactly helping his mindset towards leashes if you know what I mean.  We’d meet some great folks, people we’ll remember, and perhaps remain in touch with forever – Rossi and Scott, Lauren and Brad, Sita, and Marla, the new owner, and her son Kenny – all fabulous people!

Not every memory from 1031 Bungalow is a good one. It’s where I’d receive the call from my sister letting me know that Grandpa had passed away. I remember feeling as though it couldn’t be real. As starry-eyed as it sounds, I believe I halfway expected to always see that man from the Greatest Generation mowing his yard every time I’d go home to visit my Mom and Dad. A year and a half later, again at 1031, I’d get a similar call – this time, it was our Nanny. The same feeling ran over me. The one where you wish you’d had more time; the one where you hope and pray that the memories, the voices of those you love never fade.

Tonight as I lay my head down at our new spot on the map I can’t help but think of our time at 1031 Bungalow Park Drive – The movie nights; the games of hand and foot; that time I pulled one of Savanna’s baby teeth with pliers (yes, I did that, no it didn’t hurt her); those first few dates that Kim and I shared, hearts racing, each one wondering when the other might lean in for the first kiss. And too, I think about all of those frames of life that might not make the highlight reel, the things that you know happened, but fade faster in the rear view because they happened so fast. I close my eyes briefly and force my brain to relive as many of them as I can before they fade to black.

In the end, I pray we’ll swing by one day to see where time takes 1031 Bungalow. Mostly, I pray we’ll swing by to remind ourselves of the all the good things that happened there for our family. For now, it’s on to our next journey, the “8 acres” we call it.  Life is a crash course in orienteering, a race from waypoint to waypoint that never seems to slow down.  Hopefully, at the 8 acres, we’ll enjoy a slower pace, where we can take in more of moments that matter, like eating popsicles with our kids.  If the internet speeds are any indication, we won’t have any problem at all.