Dear Couple Who Bought Our House,

On June 17th, 2015 you bought your very first house at the exact same moment we sold our first house. It was weird to be on the other side of that process. Much like us three years ago, you are newly married, child free, and excited that your dog will finally have a yard to run around in. There was so much I wanted to tell you at the closing, but the timing didn’t seem quite right. Also, it’s better for you to figure out most of this on your own. So here, in this very public forum that I sincerely doubt you’ll ever see, I want to tell you a little bit about your new house.

Buying your first house is a major sign of becoming a “real” grown up. I know that it’s easy to feel isolated in your 20s, or like you’re “playing house”. This feeling will probably be made worse since you’ve purchased, more or less, a human sized doll house. But we loved living there and we hope that you will too. As you notice some of the quirkier things about the house, I hope you understand that they are marks of love, not of negligence.

That big scratch on the living room floor? That’s from where I dragged my rocking chair across it when I was in labor and wanted to rock during the contractions. Sorry, it’ll probably buff out. Maybe with some orange glow?

That belly explains why I wanted the rocking chair...and why I had a hard time moving it!

That belly explains why I wanted the rocking chair…and why I had a hard time moving it!

If you pull up the carpet in the back room, the hardwood is painted dark purple. Just a souvenir to remind you that the house wasn’t always as nice as it was when you bought it. I know you’ll probably sell the house some day, and I hope you leave it better than when you bought it. We certainly tried.

The previous owners REALLY liked purple.

The previous owners REALLY liked purple.

Invest in curtains for the french doors upstairs, unless you like a lot of light in your bedroom. Your new across the street neighbors are a little overzealous with the floodlights. Speaking of neighbors, you have really good ones. Trust me on this. Neighbors who offered to drive me to the hospital when I was hugely pregnant and neighbors who snowblowed our driveway when I was home alone with the baby. Foster those relationships, because you can never have too many people around to support you if you need help.

I guess the last thing I want to tell you is this: Join in. Sit in the driveway to watch the fireworks in July and on the front porch to hand out candy on Halloween. Watch the parades. You’re lucky enough to live in Whoville, so sing in the town center during the Christmas sing along, and cheer on the high schoolers during homecoming. The senior center always needs yarn and volunteers. The librarians are friendly and will help you pick out books you’ll really like. The sooner you become a member of the community, the happier you will be in your new little house.

The house decorated for Halloween.

The house decorated for Halloween.

Your new house is where my husband and I became us, and where my daughter lived the first months of her life. It is very close to my heart. (Even the purple floor.) Good luck, and enjoy.

Becky

Becky Duquette

About Becky Duquette

Becky is a stay at home mom to Zoey, her family's pack of dogs, and several cats who is rediscovering what it means to be a Mainer.