Regrets

Regrets. I don't have many but after today I do have a new one.

My Great Aunt had a cottage in my Father's home town. My family goes way back there. We used to own a lot of land but it was gradually sold off. The cottage was originally built by my Great Grandfather. They originally lived up the street (a fair ways up.) OK, street is being too kind. It was a dirt path/road that ended up a hill and intersected with a real road. He had a fight with his wife and ended up going down to the beach and started building the cottage. He lived in his boat while he built it.

I spent a lot of time at the cottage when I was young. All of us did. We had lots of bonfires and clam bakes down on the beach. I spent countless hours up and down the beach. Running through the woods with the dogs. One of the best Christmas' I ever had was at the cottage.

Then Dad got sick. The cottage was a place I always went with him. He did so much work on it for my Great Aunt that it seemed like another home. He taught me how to dig clams there, fish with an old fashioned reel, even some sailing. All of it there.

After Dad died I just couldn't bring myself to go back there. It held so many good memories but I was afraid it would never be the same again. Oh sure I talked about going but somehow I always came up with excuses not to go.

Then my Aunt sold it and moved to a different town. The buyers said they would keep the cottage for personal use. They own an Inn beside it. They ended up buying all the houses on the street.

It has been over 22 years since Dad died. Today I returned to his home town for the first time. For the most part it is just liked I remembered it. For the most part.

My Great Aunt's cottage is gone. :( It has been torn down and a house built in it's place. A nice house but not the building I expected to see. We don't have a lot of pictures of the cottage or us there. (Luckily I have lots of memories.) It kind of deflated me to see the cottage gone.

I wish I hadn't waited so long to go back. Many of our family and friends who lived there have moved on or died. Even part of the road system through has changed. I couldn't even find the cemetery my Great Grand Parents are buried in.

I won't make the same mistake again.