I always wanted to have a big house that would serve as a sort of retreat from life's hard-knock lessons for my family; children and grandchildren. I started to envision it when I was in my twenties, which is young for one to begin dreaming of being that all-accepting grandmother. But it came from a yearning of my own to have a place I could always call home to go to when things got rough and I needed a time out to regather and lean on a supportive shoulder. A place without lectures about responsibilities, what I should be doing, what I shouldn't have done, conditions placed upon me being there, and pressure to lead a life that was not fulfilling, etc. Lacking such a place in my own life, I strongly desired to create such a place, where my family would always feel welcome, know they'd have a roof over their head and food to eat, without question.
Last summer I got to spend time with my grandson. One day he wanted to come here instead of go elsewhere. His mother asked him why. He replied; "because it's peaceful". This from a 6yr old who had to tough it out while here with an aunt and uncle younger than him, lol. But there it was: for a brief moment this past summer, even if he called me by my first name, my dinky little apartment was "Grandma's House". I am capable of creating exactly the atmosphere I wanted to create, I just did not know it yet.
While it will still probably be a long period of time before the rest of my descendents are given an opportunity to appreciate the atmosphere of my home, I cherish this memory while I create the venue in which anyone in my community who can appreciate it and wants to take advantage of it, can.
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