Today's MOZEN: A House for Sale

F LoBuono

My house goes on the market this week. It's about time. Even though I co-own it, I haven't actually lived there in nearly 6 years. Still, the idea of giving it up has filled me with a deep, abiding sadness.

It's a beautiful house; a 1931 Center Hall Colonial, with a fireplace and many other unique architectural elements on nearly 2 sculpted acres. Located at the base of a State Park and the magnificent Palisades, it has spectacular Hudson River views, as well.

She sure is a beauty.

And, it was the culmination of a lifetime of dreams and hard work.

When I got married, I owned a small house in Nyack that suited me just perfectly. But, the woman I married had 3 sons. The idea of fitting all of us into that small abode was simply impractical. Since she and I were both gainfully employed and making a decent living, it was time to move out - and, up! So, we packed up the kids and moved 10 miles up-river to Haverstraw, NY.

At first, the house was everything that we hoped it would be - a center for family, friends, and a life well lived. In the summer, we had barbecues in our spacious backyard. In the fall, for the football season, I would cook virtually every Sunday for many in our redesigned kitchen. We had massive fires in our living room during the cold winter months. There was light and there was love.

Then, it all changed. It's become a symbol of my failure.

My wife and I drifted. We stopped being the priority in each others' lives. This would be the kiss of death for our relationship. Eventually, she decided that she wanted to try living a different life and left. It was supposed to be for 10 weeks only. However, during the course of those weeks, things just kept getting worse and worse. Everything simply collapsed. Living there under those conditions became simply untenable for me. When she finally came back I left, never to return.

And, here we are.

I rebuilt my life in Nyack and have never looked back. Failure was not an option. But, I am not made of stone. It hurts to think how much we had and, therefore, how much we lost. That house was a symbol of everything that I had worked my whole life to achieve. It was a home. Now, it's just a house for sale - an investment. I've moved on. I've had to.

So, if you know of anyone looking for a magnificent house with lots of good memories built in, please send them my way . . .