Your latest post will surely take every reader back to a portal of their own. I was instantly transported to my grandparents' home in Dubois, Wyoming, where every summer we grandkids were allowed absolute freedom--bouncing down the Wind River on fat inner-tubes, riding horses through the sagebrush, exploring Spooky Cave and a bottomless geyser before they were both fenced into private land. My family, too, wishes we could have hung onto the modest house, the creaking barn, and the few acres that surrounded them, but it was not to be. I hope the family who lives there now is enjoying it just as much as we all did. Thank you for sharing your vivid memories, your beautiful family, and the gift of this unexpected Sunday morning portal to my own past!
Wow, your grandparents’ home and your summers there sound magical! I am struck by the similar themes of freedom, nature, imagination and play that I associate with my grandmother’s home! That’s the good stuff, as my son likes to say, and I believe we all can cultivate it in our lives for ourselves and for future generations!
Your family is fascinating! I love reading your stories about them and how they have shaped you. Corey's Grandma's home stands on a street a few blocks from Stanford and while most of the homes around it have been scraped and rebuilt to fit today's aesthetic, his Grandma's home still looks exactly as it did when he and his brother lived with her in the 70s and 80s, causing Corey and I to both wish that we had the means of bringing it back into his family. I wonder if your viewpoint of seeing your Grandma's home as a portal has helped you to release the need/desire to keep it in your life?
Great question! My grandma’s house was sold years ago to the neighbor nextdoor, who promptly tore it down - it’s just a patch of empty lawn now. I think my seeing it as a portal was a reflection of how a home and land, when cultivated with intention, can become a magical portal to so many possibilities. As humans, we are made to be connected to land and to place, if we can only be present to it and live in reverent and mutual relationship with it. My grandmother knew how to do this - to live in harmony with birds, and the garden, and the lake and the seasons - and in doing so, she modeled it the younger generations. When it comes to Corey’s Grandma’s home, I can see the desire to want to bring it back into the family. The history of a place never leaves its bones, and there are days when I wish we had saved my Grandma’s house. At the same time, it needs to be inhabited by humans who carry on its traditions, so a place can only be preserved if there are people who can devote active engagement, care and intention to it. I wonder, would you or Corey or his family be able to move back into the house to carry on its traditions and history? If so, it could be a wonderful adventure!
I am sorry that your Grandma's home was torn down but I really appreciate that you're saying to not hang onto things just for the sake of holding onto them - that's a great reminder to check our motivations and intentions. 🤗
Your latest post will surely take every reader back to a portal of their own. I was instantly transported to my grandparents' home in Dubois, Wyoming, where every summer we grandkids were allowed absolute freedom--bouncing down the Wind River on fat inner-tubes, riding horses through the sagebrush, exploring Spooky Cave and a bottomless geyser before they were both fenced into private land. My family, too, wishes we could have hung onto the modest house, the creaking barn, and the few acres that surrounded them, but it was not to be. I hope the family who lives there now is enjoying it just as much as we all did. Thank you for sharing your vivid memories, your beautiful family, and the gift of this unexpected Sunday morning portal to my own past!
Wow, your grandparents’ home and your summers there sound magical! I am struck by the similar themes of freedom, nature, imagination and play that I associate with my grandmother’s home! That’s the good stuff, as my son likes to say, and I believe we all can cultivate it in our lives for ourselves and for future generations!
Your family is fascinating! I love reading your stories about them and how they have shaped you. Corey's Grandma's home stands on a street a few blocks from Stanford and while most of the homes around it have been scraped and rebuilt to fit today's aesthetic, his Grandma's home still looks exactly as it did when he and his brother lived with her in the 70s and 80s, causing Corey and I to both wish that we had the means of bringing it back into his family. I wonder if your viewpoint of seeing your Grandma's home as a portal has helped you to release the need/desire to keep it in your life?
Great question! My grandma’s house was sold years ago to the neighbor nextdoor, who promptly tore it down - it’s just a patch of empty lawn now. I think my seeing it as a portal was a reflection of how a home and land, when cultivated with intention, can become a magical portal to so many possibilities. As humans, we are made to be connected to land and to place, if we can only be present to it and live in reverent and mutual relationship with it. My grandmother knew how to do this - to live in harmony with birds, and the garden, and the lake and the seasons - and in doing so, she modeled it the younger generations. When it comes to Corey’s Grandma’s home, I can see the desire to want to bring it back into the family. The history of a place never leaves its bones, and there are days when I wish we had saved my Grandma’s house. At the same time, it needs to be inhabited by humans who carry on its traditions, so a place can only be preserved if there are people who can devote active engagement, care and intention to it. I wonder, would you or Corey or his family be able to move back into the house to carry on its traditions and history? If so, it could be a wonderful adventure!
I am sorry that your Grandma's home was torn down but I really appreciate that you're saying to not hang onto things just for the sake of holding onto them - that's a great reminder to check our motivations and intentions. 🤗
Yes, lately I’ve been reflecting on how to make the more meaning out of fewer possessions. It’s a journey!
Beautiful description of Grandma’s house. I was back there for a few precious minutes.
Aw, I am so glad! I want to track down Jessica’s photos and make photo books for our family reunion!