Under Construction

When my grandfather passed away in July, he left behind a home he had lived in for 37 years. I remember playing on the foundation when it was being built. There are a lot of memories there for all the family members, but I believe I spent the most time there of all of them. My parents are getting older and their health and stamina isn't what it use to be. I live about 5 miles from them so I know when the time comes to take care of them, it will be my responsibility. I don't mind one bit either. They have taken care of me through some of the worse times in my life. I feel honored to return the favor. My parents are renovating his house, putting their personality on it. It really is starting to look nice again. My grandfather in his later years did very little upkeep on it and it was really needing updating and some repairs. He could have afforded to do it, even pay someone if need be, but toward the end of his life it became apparent that his money was going elsewhere. My mother discovered that a "lady" from church that had know both him and my grandmother for years had been poor mouthing him. He has always been generous. The best we can figure is he gave her around $30,000 over the last few years of his life. He would literally do without the things he needed to be able to give her money. That was a very ugly episode to say the least, when my mother confronted him about it.

Now that he is gone and my parents aging, they decided to move from a larger home with way too much land into something more manageable. I've been helping out. being unemployed has definitely been a plus during this. Now when they give me money, it feels less like charity. Trees have been cut. New kitchen cabinets and appliances. A new front porch and roof. And the list goes on. During the last month before my grandfather died, there were times when he didn't recognize his own house. I'm sure if he and my grandmother is watching all the activity now, they would be happy that the old place is having new life breathed into it. I think he can still recognize that it was once where he lived. My grandmother would have loved the new kitchen.