I was sitting at work one day talking to a RN Anesthesist about bike trails. There are a plethera of green belt trails in the City of Trees but to get from our home (Point A) to said trails (Point B) you have to dodge traffic. I was being instructed on the safest route to take through neighborhoods, which dogs to avoid and where I can get a coffee.
Another coworker, I'll call her A, overhead this conversation and asked "Where do you live?" I answered and turned back to back to my navigational instructions. After a bit the A asked where in the neighborhood and I told her which street we lived on. She looked at me bewildered and rattled off an address - which coincidentally was OUR address. I honestly thought I was being punked. I laughed sarcastically, determined NOT to be pulled into the joke, and said yes. Stunned, she looked at me and said "I grew up in that house."
Her family dynamics changed and while her brother was away on Mission, they moved out. She told me she felt bad that her brother didn't have the closure.
Over the period of this last year she's often asks if we are going to sell our house and move. She wants it back. We've talked about the projects we've done and the changes we've made, especially the additions to the yard last summer. I told her she could come by and see the house any time.
This month I am updating the hall bathroom. What started with a couple gallons of new paint has led us down the path of new counter top, sink, hardware, refinishing the cabinets, new stain color and resurfacing some of the walls. After 3 weeks we've yet to crack the cans of paint. But I digress...
When I had the cabinet torn apart I found a small ring inside the cabinet shell below the drawers. Just for grins I brought it in to work and asked A if she had ever lost a small ring. She had two in mind and actually described the one in my pocket. She was so shocked to see it again.
The next day A brought me in this picture of the house when they lived here. Her dad had just planted the weeping cherry tree in the front yard.
Vintage 1994
Today
They were speechless. A just grinned. Her brothers couldn't believe they were back in their old home. For the next hour they walked through the house and yard. Mike and I enjoyed hearing their stories as they shared their memories of family life in our home. They admired our changes. We felt they truly appreciated the work we've put into our home so far. (OUR home being the collective group of people in the room at the time). It was surprisingly very special to have shared this small moment with A and her brothers.
As we closed the door and they pulled away we smiled, feeling very good about our evening knowing two families have grown up in our home creating very special memories.
