I remember my youth. I remember it fondly. I grew up surrounded by other kids. Simply swarms of sisters, brothers, cousins, neighbours, and family friends. My house was the house where everyone would gather. I’m forever thankful that I had the kind of parents who were so warm and welcoming. They loved having kids running around. My parents would often make us food and provide a listening ear to anyone who needed it.
Of course, all good things need to eventually come to an end. My dad got a new job so we had to relocate. This relocation was hard for me. I missed my friends. I missed having my cousins nearby. I missed the whole community. I’ll never forget the fear I had that I might need to say bye to my outdoor trampoline. I had no idea what my new house was going to be like. For all I knew at the time I might have been moving to a house that had no garden. Looking back, I remember being distressed and in a panic because I had no idea how my parents were going to pack the trampoline into the car. Yes, I am acknowledging that I was a dramatic kid.
My new home wasn’t bad, but I didn’t have the same amount of friends or family around me. In fact, I had no family. All I had were my siblings. Siblings are great and all, but sometimes it’s nice to have that extra dynamic of outsiders.
It did take me quite a while to settle into my new home. My parents decided to buy sports equipment online to help me get settled. They recognised I was always someone who loved being outside, but suddenly had no interest.
In time, I was able to make new friends and enjoy my new home. While that was also a nice period of my life, I’ll never forget my first home.