Stepping Back In Time

During our last visit home, my Mom casually mentioned that she would like to drive past her childhood home. At 81 years old and having lost my Dad last year, she has been doing a lot of reminiscing about the past. Since I haven’t seen my Grandparent’s house for many years, I jumped at the idea and a couple of days later my sister Dianne, my mom and I were in the car eagerly on our way. Dianne and I are the oldest of six siblings and we have the most vivid memories of our Grandparents and their home. We can both recall with fondness the memories of the dear people that they were and the many wonderful family times spent at their house.

As we drove down the street, Mom started to point out the different houses and who used to live in them. She also retold the fact that my Dad and his family had lived on the same street for a few years when they were all very young. She showed us his house and we tried to imagine him living there.

His family eventually moved to a parcel of land a few miles away so they could farm. But how amazing that when they were just little children they lived only houses away from each other!

As we approached our Grandparent’s house, it still looked very much the same. There were some obvious changes (the pillars on the front porch along with the wooden steps had been replaced and the driveway was now paved) but it was definitely the house we remembered.

We parked our car and went up to the door to see if anyone was home. We didn’t want to just start walking around the property without the owner’s approval. Much to our disappointment, no one was home. So we just stood out front, taking pictures and talking about the similarities and changes of Mom’s childhood home.

Fortunately, within a few minutes, the homeowner drove up! She got out of her car and we exchanged introductions. Her name was Marcia and she seemed a bit hesitant with us at first, but soon warmed up as we showed her some old photos that we brought along. She walked us around to the back yard and we reminisced about our Grandfather's gardens, the chicken coop that once stood behind the garage, the screened-in porch that we loved so much and the brick-paved driveway.

Much to our complete surprise, Marcia then invited us to come into her house. I couldn't believe her generosity in allowing us to once again enter the house that we had loved so much. The front door was the same wooden door that we remembered and as we stepped inside, I immediately experienced a flood of emotions that I was not expecting. Without my permission, the tears came. It was just like stepping back in time and I felt like I was once again a child in my Grandmother’s house experiencing the special warmth and love that I have always associated with being there.

As we walked from room to room, we shared our stories with Marcia. We pointed out the corner shelves in the dining room that my Grandfather built and talked about the wood stove that used to be in the kitchen. She no longer had the built-in bench seating in the kitchen, but a telephone desk stood in the exact same spot where my Grandmother always had one.

We ventured into the basement where memories of the ringer-washer and coal room came back to us. It was now a finished rec room with a TV and computer. Upstairs we toured the bedrooms and looked out the same window that my mom would have looked out of as a child in her room.

Thanks to Marcia's generosity, my Mom experienced a special gift that day. She was able to once again count her blessings as she warmly recalled the past. It was also a joy for my sister and I to see the house, but most of all to be with Mom and to share this special time. I pray that we would all hold onto the good memories of our past and be able to look back and be thankful.

Have a wonderful day!