August 3 - Blessings Past and Present

This evening reminded me of how grateful I am for our old neighborhood.  That gratitude is compounded by an appreciation for having lived there during our children’s earlier years.  We were surrounded by homes filled with children of similar ages.  Ours was a quiet, small subdivision, with no criminal activity, little traffic and an interesting combination of  90’s family life with an “old school nostalgia”.  

Our kids would play on one of two dead-end streets and could be quickly summoned from the front porch when time to come in.  There were “known” homes in which they could play freely and they were equally free to bring those same "known" friends home. 

Some parents, including me, would join the kids for a game of four-square or kick ball.  If not “in the game” we would often congregate on front porches or decks keeping an eye on the neighborhood children while catching up with each other. Sometimes we'd just walk the neighborhood and talk.  The first day of school was always special - after bus stop photos, all the Moms would enjoy brunch.  Those seemingly small events and non-eventful days are now a tapestry of cherished memories. 

One neighbor answered my first panic-filled phone call when my then 4 year old had a fever of 105.3.  Kathryn quickly ran over to my house and helped me immerse my baby in a cold bath bringing the fever down and comforting me in the process. She's still among my close friends today.  Another neighbor invited me to a Women’s Ministry Event at which I fell in love with Fellowship Bible Church.  From that point on, FBC has been an integral part of our family’s life.  (A colossal understatement!)  There’s the friend that called one day to let me know of an indiscretion on the part of one of my children – it was great to have neighborhood reinforcements!  There was and is the friend who shocked us all with the announcement of an impending divorce.   Leaning on past experience with family courts, and an empathy that comes from similar experience, I was able to walk that journey alongside her.  Our children are all grown now – but many former neighbors are still among my fabulous friends. 

Tonight, Britt and I attended a “Mother – Daughter Champagne Soiree” in the old neighborhood. It was a night filled with laughter and with meaningful conversation.  Not to mention, sitting there surrounded by some of the same girls who used to babysit my kids is pretty cool.  They’ve grown into amazing young women and devoted mothers to their own little cherubs.  There in the midst of the group was my own little one – largely influenced by many in the room, and now an amazing young woman. 

I’m thankful for the memories made, the friendships established and the years spent in Garrard’s Crossing.  We moved from there because we outgrew the house, but nine years later, we’ve not outgrown the neighborhood nor the wonderful friends who remain.

Thank you Kath for coordinating this fabulous evening!