15 Year-old's Letter to the Yard Across the Street

When her dad sent her a picture of pending home construction in what had been a vacant “yard” across the street from her home, a 15-year-old felt a sudden emptiness. She started remembering the coyotes, rabbits, deer, birds, a great pine tree, and amazing sunset orange poppies. She remembered playing with friends on a trampoline, and neighbors who lived next to the lot who brought grandkids and the best baked goods she had ever had. Turns out the lot wasn’t so empty after all. She said, “The only problem is, I didn’t realize just how much I enjoyed it until it was slowly being taken away. I think that’s the same with everything in life. Sometimes, you might not realize just how much you appreciate something until it’s no longer present.”