The time has come: a parting of the ways. We’ve lived together, loved together, laughed, cried, celebrated successes and mourned passings. I don’t regret a moment of it and I hope you don’t either; we’ve been a great team through the years, through the highs and the lows…we’ve been lucky, by and large times have been good. Your previous partner left you in a real state: I worked, fought and coaxed you back with a bit of help from my friends, for which I’m forever grateful.
You are — were — a safe and comforting space when things were just too much, an oasis of calm in a sometimes crazy, crazy world. Being with you would always make me feel better and make life a bit more bearable. In the grip of insomnia I could think of you, walk with you, you’d hold my hand and lull me to sleep. My new partnership hasn’t yet taken that place and I feel the loss keenly.
But life has changed, as we both always knew it would — to be honest the relationship with the proprietor has rarely been good. They’ve taken the money, hiked the rent and never invested anything back: I’ve had enough of the neglect, frustration and unanswered emails. Also I’ve moved to a new home (with a huge garden, I know you’ll appreciate that), an opportunity to build something solid for the future that’s truly mine. And so the time has come, the parting of the ways.
I’m proud to have cared for you and yours. I’m proud to have known you and spent so much time with you. I’m proud to have won you from the state your previous partner left you in, and am even prouder to leave you in a far better state than when I found you. I wish you nothing but the best with your new partner, you deserve it. You’ve taught me so much and I’m forever grateful. I’ll always cherish your memory and yes, there were a few tears when I finally said goodbye and as I write this. After about a decade of partnership this is the end of an era and the beginning of a new, exciting life. Hopefully for both of us.
PS Persephone will bear your number in your honour for the rest of her days.
Persephone, my shed, freshly moved from Lotty to my new home.
Photos are mine, all rights reserved.