Member-only story
Empty Homes
Dealing with death
Ben hated empty homes — here in our townhome community or in our previous neighborhood. Empty houses made him sad because he felt the loneliness of those abandoned places. He believed homes had hearts and souls and needed to be occupied to be content.
Before he died last year, a family moved out of a townhome in the circle southeast of ours. We didn’t know them, didn’t know if they were renters or owners. But it didn’t matter; those strangers moving made Ben sad.
As weeks passed, no one moved in. There was no for rent sign, no for sale sign. Just a sad, empty home. Each time we walked by that circle, Ben commented, Why isn’t that place for rent or for sale? Why would the owner leave it empty and lonely?
Almost a year has passed since that family moved. Syau and I were walking last week when I noticed a for sale sign in front of the townhome. I immediately thought, I can’t wait to tell Ben! He’ll be so happy!
Multiple times a week, I see something in the neighborhood and think, I have to tell Ben about that.
I forget that he’s gone. I forget that he’s not sitting home waiting for me to return from my walk.
I return to my own lonely home. There is no one to tell about the for sale sign. There is no one eager to hear about my walk.
There is no one waiting for me.
© Dennett 2025
