This may seem like a rather odd post but this is something that recurs for me. Perhaps it is just my creative mind but have you ever thought what you might find out if buildings could speak?
I don't mean this in a mad Alexa is collecting data on you way (although I am sure Alexa is)
I mean this in a historical way.
My family home that sadly we had to sell a few years ago had been in my family for 82 years. I know some of what went on and whilst it had been part sold off in stages it was my home. (Even after a moved out and got married, as my folks were still there.)
But it is interesting.
Numerous members of the family have lived or had experience of that house .... all different experiences. Last year for example one of my cousins let my sister and I know that our Grandfather had been in WW1. Now this might not seem that unusual as a statement but my grandfather was born in 1879, so my sister and I had always assumed grandpa would of been too old to be in WW1. it turned out that my older cousins remembered a picture of him in his uniform. My family never got many pictures when my gran passed away, those went to other family members. I guess however, there can be an assumption that everyone knows something. The truth however is that everyone has different memories.
Some of my memories of that place are things like when gran turned her table upside down and gave us a tablecloth in order that we could play ships. Or birthday parties in summer. I could also tell you where all the animals are buried.
I was brought up in an old town (now a city). Where servant bells were once common place within homes. I was walking round the city a few years ago and I thought. What if these homes could speak? What stories would they tell?
When I was in Dublin, I lived in a convent grounds.
My time there was full of fun, opportunities and vision.
I lived with fellow students whilst doing a course. We had lots of fun experiences there. The nuns that were still there would close the grounds at 10pm. So it was not unheard of to get a punt over the wall if we were late. (My organisation just rented off the nuns)
Whilst I lived there my friends (many of whom I still have contact with) and we shared visions, dreams and also trauma. We had picnics in the garden and learned all kinds of things about God and our relationship to him.
When my then boyfriend visited, I walked round the garden a Biblical 7 times (by accident) discussing with him about a potential marriage with him. (My husband of over 20 years) I knew I was to marry him..... I just had to wait for him to figure that out. lol.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that site had a dark past. A laundry where young women had a terrible life. A site where it is now known to have mass unmarked graves.
A place that later went on to be derelict and vandalised...
But wait... the story does not end there.... that site is now a place of life again. It now is home to a charity that helps homeless get back on their feet again.
You see that building has had different phases.... good and bad.
Some people might walk past and only know one aspect of the its history.
You know the same can be said of people.
We, as people, have relationships at differing levels. Some people we let in more than others. Some are allowed in because they have invested in relationship. At other times we protect and keep ourselves safe.
In this period of lockdown we have seen self-sacrifice, tremendous generosity and a few acts of self preservation and selfish breaking the rules.
The truth is you will always see a diverse response.
People have suffered loss and grief. All kinds of loss and uncertainty exist. We have a choice about how to respond. We can allow the external circumstance invade our inner peace or we can draw from our inner strength and pour out love, friendship and generosity.
Just before lockdown one of my neighbours had to adjust that his wife had to go into a home. Sadly she passed away soon after. Before she died I had left my details with him just incase he needed them. When his wife died I was so touched that he called to let me know because I had asked after her on a few occasions.
Now we chat and even exchange cooking tips!
It doesn't take much to listen and care.
Be the light that you are created to be and shine.
