Moving is a life altering experience that can bring on a surge of emotions for anyone. It means having to leave the familiar and heading towards the unknown. Simple changes like moving your living room furniture can be frightening enough, but moving your furniture to a new home in a new town can be emotionally alarming! Not only are you leaving the only home you’ve known, but you are saying good-bye to friends and perhaps family members. How do you cope during the move? How do you wave good-bye to your home, family, and friends while trying to manage the other stresses of your big move?
The first thing you must do is embrace your move. Allow yourself to say good-bye and to grieve at the same time. Here are a few things you can do to cope during this difficult time.
Take pictures-lots of them! If you are driving to your new destination you can even take that time to arrange the pictures in a photo album. You can also make a video of your home. Go from room to room and share your memories and thoughts of special moments from that room.
You can write a farewell letter to the new occupants. In this letter you can tell them how you came to purchase the home and even reveal some fond memories with them. You may even wish to ask them to take care of their new dwelling and treat it with as much kindness as you did. If you choose to leave a forwarding address, you may be surprised-they may write back!
And here’s my favorite-bury a time capsule in the yard with favorite memories written down and even pictures that capture those heart felt moments. You can gather your family for a ceremony and talk about some of your favorite times in your old home before burying the time capsule.
As you get in your car and watch your house disappear in the distance you can hold all those precious memories close to your heart for an eternity; knowing that more memories are waiting to be made at your new home.
Happy Moving!
