Saying Goodbye

A Home, A lifetime, A new Beginning

I am sitting naked in the middle of a bare loungeroom. In front of me is a white mantelpiece with a number of black and white photos of passed loved ones staring at me. My own childhood stares back at me too. Beside me, a large north-facing window with shafts of sunlight drenched the room in golden hues.

This is the family home I entered over 60 years ago. Where I spent my childhood playing in the garden and dreaming of the future in the yellow wallpapered front bedroom. 

The scratches, knocks and cracks on the bare walls throughout the house mirror my journey. I traversed through marriages, broken relationships and lost dreams. With pieces of my shattered heart lying on the ground around me.

Amid all the chaos and joy, this home was my anchor as I continued to return for visits over the 60-plus years. Now both my parents are gone, and the house is stripped bare in preparation for sale.

As part of my farewell to the home and my parents, I too stripped naked to hear the whispers in the walls, watch the shadows in the rooms, say goodbye to the past and prepare for the future.

My nakedness exposed my vulnerabilities. But it also gave me the strength to accept myself as who I am, rather than trying to fit into what society expects. Despite all the challenges, laughter and tears,  I continue to spread kindness, even when there is judgement and anger.

I invited Anastasia to photograph my ‘ naked’ farewell to the family home. Anastasia and her camera created a safe space and captured my true essence as a unique, remarkable individual living amongst other extraordinary people.

Thank you, Anastasia

Dionisia 1.03.2025