good night, loon lake

Published 17 days ago • 2 min read

Hi Reader,

Today I closed on my parents' lake house. This is the house that gave me forty four years of summers, and the lake that has been my home for all fifty two years of my life.

I walked through those rooms one last time and said goodbye to everything they gave me. Then I went down to the dock, alone, in the dark, just me and the crickets and the occasional fish jumping somewhere out on the water. I think I even caught a glimpse of the northern lights in the distance. I sat there for an hour or more and thanked that lake for every single thing it gave me.

It felt like I owed it that.

I wrote something while I was out there, and I want to share it with you.

Good night, Loon.
Good night, Lake.
52 years, I'm blessed to take.

Endless summers,
star filled skies, laughter and memories
around the campfires.

Thank you, Loon Lake,
you know what you've given me-
a place to call home,
no matter where life takes me.

I'll carry you with me,
each day from now on,
and remember I love you
as life goes on.

This is one of those parts of midlife that hits hard. The goodbyes that carry grief along with gratitude at the same time. Selling a house is a transaction. Walking away from fifty two years of your own history is something else entirely.

There's no real lesson here except for some encouragement to navigate these times in a way that's right for you, and if you are dealing with your own version of this today, I hope you know you are allowed to grieve it and be thankful for it in the very same breath.

That is the whole next chapter, isn't it. Holding both and moving forward the best way we know how.

For me, that means I have to do something with it. Write about it, hold onto it, let it keep shaping how I live.

Thank you for reading this with me,

Some links in this email may be affiliate links or point to my own products. That means I may earn a small commission or income—at no extra cost to you—if you choose to shop through them. Thank you for supporting this small space that helps support my family. It means so much.

Follow along with me...

nextchapterlivingwithlynn.com

PO Box 4646, Queensbury, NY 12804
Unsubscribe · Preferences

Read more from Next Chapter Living with Lynn

one small thing

Hi Reader, Last week I asked if you would do 3 small days with me, and I promised to check in. I also owe you the story behind them. A while back I had a rough day. I pulled a few outfits out of my closet, and nothing fit the way it used to. I stepped on the scale, which I do not recommend, and the rest of the day was just frustrating. The next morning I gave myself two choices. I could keep dwelling on it, or I could do one small thing. I laced up my sneakers and finally took the 20 to 30...

3 days ago • 2 min read

i need this as much as you do

Hi Reader, My last couple of emails were on the heavy side. I have been thinking about you since I sent those, and wondering if you could use something a little lighter this week. So, here is something I made a few weeks ago called 3 Days to Feel Like Yourself Again. I built it because I needed it myself. Three emails from me, three small days, nothing more. This is just something free from me to you, because it helped me and I hope it can help you too. Small steps like this can create bigger...

10 days ago • 1 min read

twenty-five years later

Hi Reader, Today is September 11th. Twenty-five years since that day, and I haven't been able to think of much else this week. My husband and I were in New York City that morning, working close to the towers. When it happened, my body did something I never chose to do. I ran, away from where he was, before I even understood what was happening. It would be hours before I saw him again, walking north toward me covered in ash, after both towers had fallen and it was finally safe enough to walk....

24 days ago • 1 min read