Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Thinking about the past...

The other day my mom received a phone call from a woman, named Diane, who was putting together a family ancestry album and was in need of photos of my home (in Sacramento - yes I still consider that my home). At first this seemed like an odd request, but it turns out her grandmother got married at our home on May 18th, 1924,  almost 90 years ago.


It's incredible to me to think about my home in the past and just how much history comes along with it. When we first moved to Sacramento 10 years ago I remember my parents telling me that our home was built wayyyy back in the day, but I never really thought about it's old foundation because so much of the inside had been remodeled as the years had passed. Besides the creaky doors, spooky basement (not one dog will go down - they just stand at the top of the stairs and bark - I swear they see ghosts), and backyard sewer floods due to the old plumbing, the house seemed to be in pretty good shape.

When Diane called my mom and told her her story it was a bit of a wake up call for me. I know everyone always says to live in the present and not focus on the future or past, but sometimes I think looking to the past can ground us and inspire us in the present. To think about the individuals who built our home, and the families who lived in it before us, makes me gracious and appreciative of each person and the love they put into it to create what it is today. Throughout the last 90 years each family has left a little piece of themselves & their stories behind, leading to the creation of the best home I've ever known.

I remember having conversations with my friends in the past about our parents and how they had their OWN lives before they met each other. We were always so flabbergasted to think that our moms and dads had an entire childhood and young adult life without each other because all we'd ever known is the two of them together. The same is true of my home. To think that it had a life and story  before I came to know it only makes me intrigued to learn more.

The neighborhood I lived in is known for its tree lined streets, complete with ginormous sycamore trees that tower higher than any house. I never stopped to think that at one time those huge trees were young and small, planted in rows on a wide open street. So much has happened since the day those trees were planted to today. If anything, I hope you take away from this post that life is full of a rich history and we should seize it to learn more about how we came to be today and to inspire us to leave our mark for the future.

Diane ended the conversation by sending some photos to my mom that she passed on to me. The pictures are from her grandmother's wedding that took place at my home. I will add some of the photos below so you can see how much has changed since 1924. See if you can spot the small trees and buggy on the street :)

On another note, I am heading to Austin for a little vacation with the bf so I'll be MIA for a few days, but expect a fun post when I get back! 

xo,
Courtney






If you look at the picture on the right they were standing in between the little orange sign in the grass and the big tree near the sidewalk with their backs to the car in the photo. Do you see the difference in tree size?!

Do you spot the buggy??
This is my home :)
And here's a cute picture of my dog Bode (the big one) and my brother's new little puppy Cooper!

1 comment:

  1. Courtney, you made my eyes fill with tears. I loved my grandma so and seeing the beautiful people who now inhabit the home where she married fills me with joy. Thanks so much for writing this. You are a brilliant author.

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