Our Court just isn't the same anymore

We built this house 26 years ago. We were the first house built on this court. There are only 8 houses on a cul-de-sac. Each house in our small subdivision is built on one acre of land. And the houses on our side of our court back up to undeveloped fields. It has been the perfect place to live and raise a family.

The families on this court remained the same for about 15 years. We were all friends and remain friends with several of them that have moved away. The new families that have moved in are all terrific people. There are new children who happily ride in strollers or ride bikes around our very safe court. It's been interesting to listen to the new owners talk to the old owners at some of our parties. And everyone still gets along very well.

Another house on our court was just put up for sale. And this one has me particularly melancholy. Roy and his wife Vi were the second family to move in. Their children were already grown but their daughter and son-in-law moved back with them for a while at the beginning and we all were happy to welcome the first grandchild born to neighbors on our little court.

Vi suffered from a brain tumor for many years and passed from us several years ago. After a few years Roy met and fell in love with Nancy who joined our group eagerly. And we were all so happy that Roy had found someone wonderful.

We live just outside of Chicago, and winters can and have been brutal. Summers get hot and sticky and an acre of land with a long steep driveway takes a lot of work. So it's very very understandable that Roy and Nancy want to move someplace warmer.

 But this is the fifth of the eight houses to sell. There will only be three of us originals left.

It could well have been us or Norm and Diane moving. Both Diane and I have problems walking. But we're both lucky that we built houses that have accommodated our life changes. Theirs is a ranch style home while ours has the master bedroom on the first floor.

And I guess you could say we've been some of "the old people" on the block for several years now. But Joe and I don't feel old. Well, at least not in our minds.

I'm sure after we say our goodbyes to Roy and Nancy, wish them happiness and good health and see them on their way, and welcome the new arrivals that I'll get over this funk. It's just so odd that I'm feeling this way and the reason that I'm writing this.