Tonight, as I cleaned up after dinner and swept my floors.. moving beyond the kitchen and into the dining room and entry hall, I happened to catch a glimpse outside my front window. Shining from across the street, through the cold November evening darkness, were new lights. They were bright lights.. shining from the new house across the street that was just completed. It was a new thing to see. Space where there had been darkness before was now shining with bright, happy looking lights. Welcoming lights! And the new image made me smile inside.

It’s not as if I didn’t know this house was being built. I’ve watched as the trees were cleared, the hole was dug.. and the entire house went up. I’ve watched a number of houses being built in the last months. All around us there have been houses that were built. Next to us, down the street.. houses have been built.  There have been all types of  construction vehicles, dumpsters.. and lots of men around performing their various jobs in building the houses. And noise.. there has been a great deal of that. We built our home here in this little cul-de-sac when there were only a few other houses around. We carved our little spot out of the woods and settled in, feeling happy and excited. We enjoyed the space around us.. the birds, the trees, the quiet. Before we knew it, however, the lots around us were sold and houses started sprouting up all around us.. on both sides of us, down the street, across the street. We didn’t love it at first.. we had rather liked being here with space all around us. And we had liked the quiet. Yet, we slowly got used to having the new houses next to us and around us. We slowly got used to seeing lights on in the windows next to us. Our little spot in the woods was slowly but surely becoming a neighborhood with people.. nice people who are becoming our neighbors and friends. We still don’t like the noise.. or the construction vehicles or the dumpsters. But those will all be gone soon.. and in their place will be a real neighborhood, where all of the houses will have changed from just plain old houses to the precious homes of nice people. We have learned to accept the fact that we are no longer just a house in our own little spot in the woods. Our home is now part of something bigger than that..

That new house that is across the street with the lights shining so brightly will have people in it within the next few days.. and they are lovely people. I’m sure they will be very excited to be moving into their new house. I am happy to see their lights shining so brightly, welcoming them home. And I will be happy to welcome them to our neighborhood.. a place where new friends are made.

I still love my space and the trees around me.. I love the birds that come to my feeders and nest in my trees. And I love my home.. but it is now a part of something bigger than just that.

~ Carole Carter – words and photograph