Breaking Up With Your Old Backyard

Dear Backyard,

How have you been? It’s a bummer you got caught in the hailstorm today, and the fact that the neighbor’s dog has been barking non-stop all week hasn’t made matters any better. I can’t even imagine what that’s like.  

I’m sorry if I’ve been cold and distant lately. We haven’t hung out in a few days because I’ve been really busy, and I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. I haven’t exactly been in a good place, and there have been some things that I need to work out in my life.

Anyway, I went to the Bakersfield landscape supply store recently, and it got me thinking. We’ve been through a lot together—the highest highs and the lowest lows. We were together for the most beautiful summers and the harshest winters, and they wouldn’t have been the same without you. We were together for that crazy drought, too—I know how hard that was on you, but you were tough and you made it through.

With all that said, I’m afraid that things just aren’t the same as they used to be. I’m afraid it’s time for me to move on to something new in my life. I’m breaking up with you, and I’m truly sorry. It’s not you—it’s me.

I don’t know how to explain it really—but the passion between us just isn’t there anymore. I guess I just feel like we’ve changed so much—we’re not the same as when we got together for the first time. I have different needs, different feelings, and different views about the world than I did years ago, and you… you haven’t changed at all. I’m ready for a new phase of life, and I don’t think you’re willing and able to come along for the ride. Ultimately, the grass is greener on the other side for me.

I look at the relationships my friends have with their backyards, and they all seem happier than I am. Jim just got an outdoor kitchen and a hot tub, and that reignited a spark in his life. Tom just got a gazebo, and Joe is madly in love with his automated sprinkler system. Times have changed, and so have I. I need something new and exciting to be truly happy with my life.  

We’ve had some great times over the years. Remember all of those mornings drinking coffee and reading the newspaper? Remember the summer BBQs with all of our best friends? Remember all of those late nights underneath the stars? I couldn’t forget them if I tried.

We’ve known each other for years, and I mean it when I say that you’ll always have a special place in my heart. But my heart says it’s time for something new.

I’m really, truly sorry. If you need some space, I understand, and if you need to talk, I get that, too. This isn’t easy for either of us.

I love you, goodbye.

PS – The landscapers are coming by tomorrow, just so you know.