Before her, lay the old winding dirt road leading to the familiar homestead of her childhood.
As a brisk wind rustled amongst the autumn leaves, she sighed before opening the door of
her truck.
And at that moment, she felt the warmth of her tears trickling down both cheeks,
while wondering: 'Was this the land that she once called home and shared with family'?
She stood gazing toward the old homestead, which now stood in shambles, listening as the
shutters creaked in the wind.
The once colorful rose garden, now stood like withered skeletons, no longer filling the air with
it's glorious fragrances.
She walked slowly, searching for what she hoped would reflect answers,
or tiny clues as to what may lay ahead for her future. Possibly, she could find some reason as to
why events in her life had gone so wrong.
A home once filled with warmth and laughter, and a family that had so much love to give, now lay
cold and silent, seemingly crying out for the love and care it once had been accustomed to.
The door to the home had fallen from its hinges, as dust and spider webs now adorned the walls
and every nook. Gone were the sounds of laughter that once filled the rooms and halls.
The kitchen where her mother had once cooked the family meals, no longer held the aroma of
fresh bacon and eggs sizzling in the old iron frying pan. That was her signal for her children, that it
was now time to awake from their slumber to begin a brand new day. She recalled all the kids rising up,
scurrying to the table before breakfast got cold. Gone now was the tablecloth made of flour sacks, that
on rare occasion, covered the leftovers from the family meal.
She continued on her journey, searching
from room to room on this November morning for memories, leading to a tattered old shack that she
once was so anxious to leave.
The backdoor lay open to reveal a porch in almost total disarray, where once sounds of fiddling, singing, and exchanges of stories were heard from kinfolk.
The swing in the big willow tree now lay
lifelessly, as no children were present to run and play their favorite game of hide and seek.
The fields that once supplied abundant crops of food for the family to eat, stood empty and parched
from the sun as they bowed in final defeat. No more industrious sounds of the tractors and plows, when
workers toiled from dusk to dawn.
The old homestead now wore the silence and emptiness which described
the essence of her life. Once a thing of strength and beauty, it now stood crumbling and decapitated from it's
original beauty and awe.
Standing alone in the chilling air she realized, yes, the years had been long and lonely,
and she had no one to call her friend. Just where was her life going as she searched for answers about how
it would all end.
As though no longer able to watch, the sun now sank low while the night shadows began to fall,
and she knew it was time to leave her past and head back to the city.
With one final glance toward the old homestead, a loving voice emitting from her tangled mind, speaking softly to
her broken heart: "Go now, Live your life to it's Fullest, One day at a time". Could it really be that simple to do,
after revisiting her childhood home? She knew she would never forget such wonderful memories of her childhood.
She now felt certain in her heart, that her life would soon discover love and peace.
Now in the distance, the full
moon began to rise. For the very first time while making her way back to the city, she knew things would now be
different in her life. Her visit to her childhood home had served it's purpose very well, and she was now ready to
move forward.
As she turned into her driveway she could see the lights from the window above. She knew that
waiting for her behind the closed doors was her family that she adored and loved.
She knew in her heart that she would visit the old homestead again one day but for now she was at peace.
Whatever problems life presented to her she could now face with her head held high.
