Heritage House

 

Here is the question as I was preparing for writing this week. 

 

It was an honest one that came to me.

 

I mentioned that I was going to be jotting down some thoughts about the heritage house in a small town. We both love to make our way there anytime we get to spend time with our good family.

 

He asked me who named it the heritage house.

 

Well, I realized that I am the one who started calling it this a few years ago as I would take a right turn every time I came into town. 

 

This house with the now red painted brick is one I have been learning about for most of my life… 

 

It is part of my story. Part of my heritage and tells me bits and pieces of who people were as they lived in this home. 

 

The heritage house is one I have come to learn more about recently from the women in my family. 

 

It’s as if I can now stand at the edge of a reflecting pond to see more. 

 

Only now have I been able to stand to the side to take this view with these things in mind. 

 

Space with peace. 

 

Openness with hope. 

 

Sureness of my space in this universe. 

 

The women in my family have given this to me starting with the woman in this house. 

 

Let’s begin. 

Finally, you say! 

This heritage house has given me times to reflect.

This heritage house has given me many times to reflect, wonder and toss a few ripples into the pond of life. 

 

Little did I know that the ripples would keep going until they sat right at my feet. 

 

I have always slowed to take in the long porch and low roof line as I have driven into this small town to take a turn at this house. 

The fence felt inviting each time I saw it and the unfinished path all around lets my mind wander with easy moments. 

 

There have been moments when I could picture the first woman in the ripples. 

 

She was tall, strong, trusting and loved to learn. One who learned to do hard work at a young age to help others then left home to travel to a city to learn how to treat people of all ages in a new way. 

 

This woman became a trained health professional and nurse to assist doctors in her small community.

Do you feel the independence and peace flowing? 

I have only known her by her full name which became long. It was never only one name. 

 

That would not be proper or give her enough power. 

 

Nope, wouldn’t be the thing to do. Always the names of Edith Amanda Wade Davenport. Do you see why it takes all four names to gather in the gumption? 

 

This is her house. Okay, officially it was hers and my great grandpas, but you know how it goes! 

 

It’s always grandma’s house. 

 

Where do I go from here?

Always with an open heart and hope.

Perhaps as I have taken a right turn in my life it is always with open heart and hope. I have been met with that in so many places along my ripples. 

 

This is the part that I have worked to keep in mind with others. 

Where I breathe deeply to find magic as it is up to me to keep this in place. 

 

Can I share the truth of what I found in my reflection with this heritage house? 

 

There are others who have come along from this place. The women who came after the woman with four names, and much before me, who shared their open heart and hope with me. 

 

They have also become tall, strong, trusting and ones who love to learn. 

 

Ones who have left their home to help someone and bytheway, each other!

 

They may fill in their names here and then add others while perhaps thinking that I couldn’t possibly mean them. 

 

I am talking about you, my incredible family, so believe that this is for you. There are lists and lists of names that could be added here. Please add yours and count yourself.

We are here together. 

 

Do you see that you have filled your space with peace and added hope to any open realm? 

Truth is what comes from this house, and we can share it.

 

Here is what I am going to do next. 

 

Hold on while we add a layer to the ripples, my friends. 

Together there are those around each of us that have become like these strong examples of each of these things. 

Who has come to your mind?

Who has come to your mind, heart and soul? 

 

Do you have someone there? It can be a person who is young, old, and in any place in your memory.  

 

For me it is each person who comes into my space to show me that my feet do belong where I have been, where I am going now and may be heading next. 

 

What if this type of person is someone new to me from a new experience? 

 

I have learned this about turning around the corner with hope and being open. 

 

Being open to the friends that come can become as valued and as rich as any history I’ve experienced. 

 

This heritage for me will pull me to do hard work with a desire to help others. 

 

Here is what I have also learned. 

The reflecting ripples have indeed come right around to my feet as I found that I have a few things in common with the one who lived in this house. 

 

I do love to learn, help others with my best friend, have traveled when I was young and now when I am not as young as I want to keep going and connect with others. 

 

I am sure of my space in the universe.

 

There is a bit of joy that comes every time I learn a bit more about this heritage house, the information I have inherited from the good people all around me including family and friends. 

 

What has come to you? We can find a piece to learn more about or create something to send along.