A little over thirteen years ago, my DH and I bought a piece of land with a small, old house on it. One of the wonderful perks of our new home was the neighbor who lived a short distance down the road. Our new neighbor was a tiny, old woman of great wisdom and wonderful humor. She was nearly blind and very frail, but her spirit was spunky, and her mind was a sharp as a tack. Mrs. Weaver was one of those old ladies who became “Grandma” to everyone who met her. Her love abounded. She won DH’s and my heart instantly, and she and I became close friends. Her son stayed with her much of the time when we first met her. He had a home of his own, but he knew Grandma’s time for living alone was coming to an end. We adopted him, too.
As Grandma grew more frail, her son Bernard began to take her home with him for several days at a time and brought her back to stay in her house every so often to keep her happy and ease the homesickness for the home she loved and lived in for many decades. There was nothing fancy or squared about Grandma’s little house, but it was built when integrity was the standard. It was a true “Grandma’s house”.
I visited Grandma often and sat with her around her kitchen table and listened to countless memories from the past seventy decades. Her memories were so vivid I honestly had a difficult time separating the people she talked about from the people she actually introduced me to. Listening to Grandma spin a story was almost like being there. Grandma loved Jesus and told others about that love without reservation or apology. Sometimes Grandma would have me read to her from her Bible, and we often talked about the little church she was a member of.
A little over three years ago, Grandma passed from this life and went on to be with her Lord. Rather than let the little house she lived in for over 50 years with her dear husband go downhill, Bernard allowed Grandma’s grandson to move in with his wife. He was supposed to take care of the place. His presence would prevent vandals from destroying the property. They lived there a little over three years.
This past week the grandson and family moved out. My DH and I went with Bernard to the house to change locks and see what needed to be done before the house would be ready for his brother who is returning to the old home place live. This is what remains of Grandma’s sweet little house where she raised her sons and lived out her long life.
Bernard allowed these people to live in Grandma’s little house for over three years…rent free. They were asked to help keep the place up. Having them there was supposed to protect the little house full of memories from vandals.
I will never understand.
Until next time…
God’s love for me is inexhaustible, and His love for me is the basis of my love for others.
~ Oswald Chambers ~
apron strings 
It always amazes me how people can be so irresponsible towards a home…and how they can live like that? We’ve found 2 old, historical homes in the past year that we had hoped to buy and both times the people had just let it all go. So sad to see a piece of history fall apart at the hands of people. Sorry for the mess.
That is terrible and makes me so sad. A lot of times people feel that if something is old it is not worthy of nice treatment. It makes me sick. They could have done so many nice things to that house in three years…
That is pure desecration..am so sorry you found that …..am glad your husband was with you. There is no understanding to be found here…just heartbreak and thank the Lord Granny did not live to see it.
The thing that most blew my mind about this situation is they had to be evicted to get them out of the squaller. I’ll never get down on myself for the “lived in look” around our house.
Jen, your are right. There are many nice things they could have done instead…makes a person wonder.
Kathleen, you are so right about Grandma…her niece and I were standing in one of the really trashed rooms and said that very same thing to each other at the same time.