A Final Goodbye to a Family Home

The Wall Street Journal:

I have managed to navigate most trials in middle age (job changes, children leaving home, deceased pets) with a fair amount of grace. But now I find myself strangely unnerved by an event beyond my control: My childhood home is about to be torn down.

This summer, my parents sold the 2,000-square-foot split-level they bought in a suburb of New York City in the early 1970s. The buyer, a Bronx-based developer of everything from office complexes to strip malls, plans to demolish the house to make way for something bigger and grander—a five-bedroom McMansion with stainless-steel appliances, custom millwork, surround sound, and a master suite with a marble bathroom and radiant heat.

For my siblings and me, my parents’ decision to sell provoked mixed emotions. It’s a huge relief to no longer have to worry about anyone tripping on the stairs. But it’s also hard not to feel depressed at the sight of the old homestead—the center of our family life—empty after 43 years.

Read the whole story: The Wall Street Journal