Home, where is it? What is it?
June 15, 2016
When talking to my sister the other day the subject of home came up. Where is home? When did you know it was home? What makes it home? The place, the people or is it just a feeling? I knew where I live was home when I came here to help take care of my grandmother when she was dying. The property has been in our family for over 100 years and we spend many summers in this area when we were growing up but I did not realize that this piece of "dirt" was home until 1998 when I was here caring for my grandmother. I am not sure what it was that was the catalyst but something made this piece of property become "home" the only place that had a lifelong connection to family. It was a feeling, a calling of the land that told me I was home. It was then that I knew I wanted to be here on this property when I retired from work. My roots are deep in this piece of property as well as my heart strings. They go deep and spread across the eighty acres that belong to our family. Why, I am still not sure what the draw was but I know that my heart was pulled to this and it hasn't let go.
My grandfather was born on this land and he died here 83 years later. My grandmother died here and my father has that plan in his head. We will do our best to grant our father's wish to be here on the property when he draws his last breath on this earth. His ashes will become a part of the earth and he will rest in peace here where his heart is. He did not live full time on this property but it has always been a part of his life. He spend many summers here and even a couple of years in school in the one room school house down the road.
My great grandfather bought this 40 acres in 1911 for one of his sons to farm. However, the son didn't want to be a farmer and instead went to Flint to work in the factory. Looking for a better life for his family. in 1936 grandpa was in danger of losing the property, 80n acres then, due to back taxes. He went to each of his four sons and offered then the property for the price of the taxes. My grandfather paid the taxes and therefore he was the once to receive the entire 80 acres. When they came up to pay the taxes my grandmother handed my dad and his sister the cash and explained to them at that time that is was probably the most money they would every see at one time in their life time. A mere $1500. but that was in 1936 and it sure seemed like a lot of money for one person to have at one time. So the taxes were paid and the property was transferred to my grandfather. My father has 40 of the 80 acres and each of my aunts have 20 acres. Our forty has been tied to our family for at least the next two generations after that who knows what will happen. I will have five acres that my daughters will inherit someday and hopefully some of their children will find solace and a tie to this land. My sister has already been deeded the other 35 acres and her children know that this is home and will do the best they can to keep it safe for another generation.
But to get back to the topic of home, where is it and what is it. Home is not always the place you thought it might me. It might not be the place where your parents are living, but a place that is bigger than now. My parents did not live here, but this is home. I did not grown up on this property but this is home. It is a feeling, a feeling that says I belong here. My feet are firmly planted here and no matter where I do or where I stay I will always know that this land is home. This is were my heart is and where I want to be. This is the land, the dirt that says I belong.
Home is not always were your heart is
home is where you need to be
home is the land that knows your name
When talking to my sister the other day the subject of home came up. Where is home? When did you know it was home? What makes it home? The place, the people or is it just a feeling? I knew where I live was home when I came here to help take care of my grandmother when she was dying. The property has been in our family for over 100 years and we spend many summers in this area when we were growing up but I did not realize that this piece of "dirt" was home until 1998 when I was here caring for my grandmother. I am not sure what it was that was the catalyst but something made this piece of property become "home" the only place that had a lifelong connection to family. It was a feeling, a calling of the land that told me I was home. It was then that I knew I wanted to be here on this property when I retired from work. My roots are deep in this piece of property as well as my heart strings. They go deep and spread across the eighty acres that belong to our family. Why, I am still not sure what the draw was but I know that my heart was pulled to this and it hasn't let go.
My grandfather was born on this land and he died here 83 years later. My grandmother died here and my father has that plan in his head. We will do our best to grant our father's wish to be here on the property when he draws his last breath on this earth. His ashes will become a part of the earth and he will rest in peace here where his heart is. He did not live full time on this property but it has always been a part of his life. He spend many summers here and even a couple of years in school in the one room school house down the road.
My great grandfather bought this 40 acres in 1911 for one of his sons to farm. However, the son didn't want to be a farmer and instead went to Flint to work in the factory. Looking for a better life for his family. in 1936 grandpa was in danger of losing the property, 80n acres then, due to back taxes. He went to each of his four sons and offered then the property for the price of the taxes. My grandfather paid the taxes and therefore he was the once to receive the entire 80 acres. When they came up to pay the taxes my grandmother handed my dad and his sister the cash and explained to them at that time that is was probably the most money they would every see at one time in their life time. A mere $1500. but that was in 1936 and it sure seemed like a lot of money for one person to have at one time. So the taxes were paid and the property was transferred to my grandfather. My father has 40 of the 80 acres and each of my aunts have 20 acres. Our forty has been tied to our family for at least the next two generations after that who knows what will happen. I will have five acres that my daughters will inherit someday and hopefully some of their children will find solace and a tie to this land. My sister has already been deeded the other 35 acres and her children know that this is home and will do the best they can to keep it safe for another generation.
But to get back to the topic of home, where is it and what is it. Home is not always the place you thought it might me. It might not be the place where your parents are living, but a place that is bigger than now. My parents did not live here, but this is home. I did not grown up on this property but this is home. It is a feeling, a feeling that says I belong here. My feet are firmly planted here and no matter where I do or where I stay I will always know that this land is home. This is were my heart is and where I want to be. This is the land, the dirt that says I belong.
Home is not always were your heart is
home is where you need to be
home is the land that knows your name
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