Friday, June 17, 2011

FRIDAY SHOWCASE: Roof Over my Head

The House Where I Grew Up

Father's Day weekend is here. If you are blessed to have a dad to hug (or one who is huggable), I imagine you're making plans to build another memory together.

But for those of us whose dads are no longer with us--mine passed away in 2006--I have a pretty good hunch that you'll be reminiscing about years gone by.  At times like this, my mind often wanders back to the house of my childhood, which my parents built in the 1960s, when I was twelve.

We had been living several miles out in the country in a cozy rental surrounded by an orange grove, pomegranite trees, and plenty of room for us six kids to stretch out and explore. Building a home meant we would be moving into town, closer to work and schools. Our friends would live within walking distance, too.  It was an exciting time in the life of my family.

A niece took this photo of us an hour after we laid my dad to rest on a warm August morning in a shady cemetery where he and Mama had chosen their plots many years before. Returning to the empty house felt surreal.  We shared a delicious potluck lunch prepared by family friends from my childhood church, but in the midst of our reunion was an all-too-keen awareness that the parents who had made this place Home were now gone. After lunch we gathered under a tree my dad had planted, our smiles masking six heavy hearts.

As we celebrate Father's Day, let's also remember the special place where we felt secure and loved. As kids, we don't often pause to consider the roof over our heads and what it takes to keep it there. 

Now I know.

Enjoy your weekend, friends! Today's Friday Showcase features Etsy artists whose work reflects this place called Home.
Bonnie

Two Houses Porcelain Brooch by NiuTaller

Home is Where my Heart Is by mudgoddess



Home Sweet Home collage by PaintMyselfPretty

Miniature Clay House by HeartHomes

Baby Bear Searches the Starry Sky tile  by chinmayo


Tooth House Box by bysimple

5 comments:

  1. Nice to see Baby Bear being honored, thanks. Chinmayo

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  2. Hi, Bonnie. My dear sweet Dad passed away 20 years ago and I miss him still. I did a couple of Father's Day posts today as well. Hope you are doing good...

    Blessings,
    Dianne
    www.campbellkidsfarm.com (our new FARM blog!)

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  3. My dad is still around. We lost my mom over 17 years ago. So....we all had a Father's Day meal around my table last night. It is always good to be with family! blessings....

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  4. Thanks for stopping by, everyone!
    Dianne, it is good to hear from you after your trip. Sounds like you made lots of fun memories. I have been running in circles, but will stop by your blog this weekend. Would love to read the posts about your dad. (Oh good! I just noticed you have a new farm blog link. Hurray!)

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  5. garden clippings...How nice that you enjoyed a Father's Day meal together. Losing a mom is tough, I know. I imagine those seventeen years just feel like a few blinks, don't they? Blessings to you...

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So glad you stopped by!