My mom used to take us for a drive past the house she was born in. I never could quite get the lay of the land on those drives. The houses all looked alike to me. I remember one drive where she was baffled because the house she was born and raised in had a second floor--and she knew it was a one story house when she lived there. A man came out in the yard and invited her in to see her old house. But since he was a stranger, she just couldn't bring herself to go inside.
One day I went driving around for myself and I found her old house. It appeared to be vacant. It had the look of a sad old house that needed love.
Some time after that I took a drive past it again. This time there were people there--a small crew of guys doing renovations to the house. I told Mom about it and asked if she might like to go with me the next day to see her old house.
And we did.
In hindsight I realize just how crazy it was. My mom, pushing 70 yrs old, approached a man at the back of the house and told him "I was born in this house. Is there any chance I could take a quick look around?"
He hesitated, as he should.
Another man in the house heard the question and gave her clearance to look around. If I remember correctly, he hinted that it was probably not the best idea and that he could probably get in trouble since he wasn't he property owner but what the heck.
In she went. After a few minutes she came back out and then we both went in to look around. She showed me where the kitchen was, the bathroom, the room that she shared with her two sisters, the bedroom she was born in, and where the stairs had been added to give another 2 large bedrooms.
It was good to see the house where Mom was built. She was born during a flood and has a great a story about how they accidentally flooded the bathroom that day. Her parents were hard working German stock. Nana was musical and Papa was a hard hard worker who knew no limits. He had been injured when he was in his twenties and lost the use of his right arm. Yet his family always had a home, clothes and plenty to eat.
I've been by the house many times since that day with my mom. It was a simple house back when my mom lived there, certainly nothing flashy. Woodframe house with siding. Two "front doors" and a back door. In spite of the work done over the last ten years it still looks old and sad. It has old white aluminum siding and black shutters. It just looks like it needs a little facelift. But the lessons that Mom learned in that house--work hard, try your best and always say your prayers--those stand tall and strong even now. And those are the lessons she passed down to her own children and grandchildren.
One day I went driving around for myself and I found her old house. It appeared to be vacant. It had the look of a sad old house that needed love.
Some time after that I took a drive past it again. This time there were people there--a small crew of guys doing renovations to the house. I told Mom about it and asked if she might like to go with me the next day to see her old house.
And we did.
In hindsight I realize just how crazy it was. My mom, pushing 70 yrs old, approached a man at the back of the house and told him "I was born in this house. Is there any chance I could take a quick look around?"
He hesitated, as he should.
Another man in the house heard the question and gave her clearance to look around. If I remember correctly, he hinted that it was probably not the best idea and that he could probably get in trouble since he wasn't he property owner but what the heck.
In she went. After a few minutes she came back out and then we both went in to look around. She showed me where the kitchen was, the bathroom, the room that she shared with her two sisters, the bedroom she was born in, and where the stairs had been added to give another 2 large bedrooms.
It was good to see the house where Mom was built. She was born during a flood and has a great a story about how they accidentally flooded the bathroom that day. Her parents were hard working German stock. Nana was musical and Papa was a hard hard worker who knew no limits. He had been injured when he was in his twenties and lost the use of his right arm. Yet his family always had a home, clothes and plenty to eat.
I've been by the house many times since that day with my mom. It was a simple house back when my mom lived there, certainly nothing flashy. Woodframe house with siding. Two "front doors" and a back door. In spite of the work done over the last ten years it still looks old and sad. It has old white aluminum siding and black shutters. It just looks like it needs a little facelift. But the lessons that Mom learned in that house--work hard, try your best and always say your prayers--those stand tall and strong even now. And those are the lessons she passed down to her own children and grandchildren.
No comments:
Post a Comment