A Family Once Lived Here

Grandma and Grandpa's house will be selling this week. Aunt Connie and Uncle David wrote the following letter to the new owners. Caution: It's a tear jerker.

A FAMILY ONCE LIVED HERE

By David Johnson


As my wife and I visited this old home quite frequently in the past few months since our father passed away, a barrage of emotions filled our hearts and minds. So many times we wished we had the time and the resources to maintain and keep this property, but we couldn't. We sat and reminisced and relived a lot of special moments. We often asked ourselves many questions, including the following questions.

Who will buy this place? Will they appreciate it even in its present condition? Will they have the vision of what it used to be and what really transpired within the walls of this old home and the surrounding property? How do I pass on a legacy of a wonderful father and mother who raised a wonderful family here?

How do I tell someone that music filled the walls of this home? How do I give someone else an appreciation for nights of fiddles and harmonicas and honky tonk piano played by people whose only music lessons were self taught? How do I explain stories, true and real about life as these people knew it? How do I explain love, creativity and integrity in the way it was taught here?

How do I tell about gardens and raspberry patches, corn, peas, strawberries, gooseberries and groves of trees where they used to stop to rest when they got weary? How do I describe a bowl of ice cream topped with homemade strawberry jam.

How do I explain wooden wall quilts, warm homemade bed quilts, homemade rugs and homemade hats and elk hide moccasins? How do I explain laughter and tall tales? How do I explain courage and devotion right to the end?

How do I tell about family reunions, campfires, hours and hours of stories and the fun that was enjoyed by all who in someway shared this home? How do I tell about fishing and hunting trips and the memories attached to each one. How do I tell about crafts, and water fights, balloon launchers- about love?

How do I explain family tragedies and family triumphs? How do I explain life and aging and finally separation from the ones you love? How do I explain about successful children and talented and successful grand children? How can I explain a special piece of ground and an old house to someone who wasn’t there?

I can’t do justice to the memories on my own- even with the help of all of us who were raised here or were welcomed later- I could never explain.

Yes we leave you an old home- lacking somewhat in the latest and greatest amenities and a piece of property that right now is deteriorated. It wasn’t always this way. The health of those who lived their last years here made the yard work too much for their feeble bodies.

There is a hidden beauty and peace in the walls of this old house and the surrounding dry grass, shrubs and trees. It was all of our sincere hopes and desires to have kept the place as it was forever for our families and grandkids to enjoy, but as mom would say” If wishes was fishes”.

We hope you can create in your own way the traditions of this old house, its people and the beauty that was here for yourselves and your posterity.

So if you see a car slowly passing by with a couple of teary-eyed people starring at the old place you will know why. It will probably be a child, a grand child or a great-great grand child wanting to stop for a bowl of ice cream, or the vision of mom and dad in their straw hats coming down the hill with a bucket full of fresh peas or just for a chance to sit on the old porch swing and enjoy a peaceful evening just talking.

Yes, there are things that need “fixin” as all old things do, but we all hope the “fixins” are a blessing to you.