This House Is Lonely

I’ve always felt that houses have souls. The people who live inside provide them with sustenance, nourish them, nurture them, make them thrive.

Left vacant they lose their purpose. They deteriorate.

This house is directly across the street from us. I remember the couple that moved in five years or so ago. There was a flurry of painting. Furniture was delivered. Landscaping was planted. They filled it with laughter and activity.

But eventually, like so many houses in so many neighborhoods, there was a foreclosure. It happened about three months ago.

See how sad it already looks? Up close you can see mold creeping up the exterior walls. The shrubbery is a tangled mess. Honey mows the lawn when it gets out of hand – mostly to keep the neighborhood looking decent – but it doesn’t do much to mask what the poor place has been through.

I hope someone buys this house soon so it can feel loved again.