We Move On and We Never Forget

I walked through the upstairs of our termite eaten house on Hope Mountain a few days ago. What used to be a place that was full of life now looks like a grave yard. The torn out walls revealed the culprit of the bothersome termite dust. Just enough termite wings lingered on the exposed beams to remind me of the need to take it all down.

I couldn't stop the flow of tears. This was our home. Good and bad memories flooded my mind at that moment. Remembrances of sheer family bliss and thoughts of outright family brawls engulfed my head.

I remember Jose sipping on a cup of tea during a rainy season and saying, "I love it when it rains here." That moment is relived in my heart each it rains on the mountain. Jose realized that Caroline would be his wife in our home on the mountain. Recollections of their beginnings saturate that house.

Josue sat on the sofa on one of the days right after we moved to Hope Mountain and said, "This place is cozy." I feel that scene when I sit on that sofa. He and Moriah spent some time with us after they were married. I'll never forget the joy it brought my heart to watch the new lovebirds in our house.

Jonathan spent weeks with us on the mountain after Army bootcamp. We watched the news each day as we braced the reality of the government shutdown happening during the time. Each time I watch the news in that house, I think of him. Memorialized events of my granddaughter Noa eating breakfast in her high chair while watching Spanish children videos will never go away. Ashley endured the termite dust for a few weeks in our house while visiting. The discomfort didn't deter her from wanting to return.

Ruben Jr. taking walks with me down my favorite path is an occasion that keeps a smile on my face. He was always so ready and available to lead the mission teams that volunteered with us. I truly don't know how we get along without him.

Jojo riding his horse alongside his dad were experiences that make us never want to sell our old horse! Jojo provided a special kind of happiness in our home. His absence has truly left a huge gap within our walls.

Thankfully our girls are still there. Selina travels to the DR so often that we don't usually have time to miss her. Starr keeps music in the air with her precious voice and Soli ensures we have enough snuggles to get us through each day.

Walking through the house was a heartbroken occasion, but the hope in my heart for the future outweighs the dismal reality we face. We stand on the horizon of a new day as our walls are being torn down. The taking away of the old can only leave room for the new.

Sometimes life is all about tearing down in order to rebuild. We all must be willing to embrace the reality of going through current difficulties in order to embrace future glory. Just know that moving on doesn't mean that you have to forget. Memories can stay alive if we choose to let them. Be willing to let go of what's rotting in your life so that you can experience newness of life.

As we rebuild the structure of our home, we will be creating new memories that will continue to fill our memoir with love.