The old home place sits vacant now. My mom had a number of health issues some years back and she went to live with my older sister.
My niece lived in the old place for a while but she moved out several years ago and it's been empty ever since. These days, it's just sad to see.
Vandals broke in, ripped out all the copper pipe, and wiring out of the house. They knocked out windows, and stole anything of value. Thankfully we'd already removed the photographs and other irreplaceable keepsakes.
My mom was one of the most generous people on the planet. She was a volunteer at the local Mission of Hope, which distributed food to the hungry, and gave used clothes and appliances to those who lost their homes in fires. To think someone would destroy her house and steal her things, saddened me beyond words.
I drove down there earlier in the week and sat in the yard for a long time just looking at the place. Back when we lived there, the house was alive with lights and festive Christmas decorations that went up the day after Thanksgiving.
Whenever you walked into my mom's house, you waded into the aroma of baking cookies, or a confection of some kind.
When I returned from the Army I married Jilda and we bought a place of our own, but each time we visited, we never left her house empty handed. We'd always have a pecan or apple pie, or something else that would make you fat and happy.
This week, sitting in the yard, all those memories flooded through my mind and I felt a little melancholy.
A few months ago, we moved my mom into a nursing home permanently. She'd been living with my sister, but my mom's health continued to decline which made it difficult for my sister to continue as primary care-giver, so we faced the hardest decision any of us has ever made.
Christmas is a special time of year, but for me, this year will be a little sad too.
I had to put my Dad into a nursing home a year after he came to live with us. It just gets to be too much. He's been gone for 13 years and I still feel guilty about it. It's not what you want to do but there are times when you cannot avoid it. I feel for you there but it was nice sharing your memories with us.
ReplyDeleteIt's exhausting being a 24 hour caregiver. It was exhausting with two of us for two weeks caring for my BIL before he died.
ReplyDeletesorry to hear your family home was vandalized. I read the same story at another blog who's empty family home was also broken into and trashed recently.
That is really sad. Maybe the best thing to do is focus on the good memories, like the festive Christmas and delicious pies. I guess it's all you can do.
ReplyDeleteI'll send prayers to you and your mom.
Meanwhile, thanks for the note on my food blog. You're right - I need to post something new! Check out Question of the Day at http://suzannecasamento.blogspot.com. I post a question every day and would love for you to participate. I have a feeling your answers will be very funny!
I've been to some of my grandparents houses that are like that--recalling the days when they have a beautifully decorated cedar and the house was filled with activity. Nice memories, but there's pain there too.
ReplyDeleteWow. That IS sad. I can't imagine someone destroying someone else's property like that, but we see this too much in life.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was in a nursing home for years, and I understand how difficult that situation is. Lots of visits with our kids helped make things better.
Hold on to those memories...
I'm sad just to be reading this post. I'm going to be praying for your Mum, Rick. Sending her lots of peace.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about your mother and the homeplace. Such a difficult time. Like Julie said, hold on to your memories.
ReplyDelete