My house is old. There is, however, something learned from living here and loving this place. My house has experienced things in its lifetime I can only imagine. Births, deaths, celebrations, and hardships. The floors are uneven and when I play ball with my cats the balls always roll downhill. I can see ‘designer’ touches made by the various occupants of my house before me. It often leaves me thinking about what the previous owners were thinking and why they made those choices.
When I put in hardwood floors in my kitchen we peeled up 5 layers of other flooring underneath. You would have never known what was under there, but it was quite the history lesson to see what came out with each distinct layer. All of this life living under the surface and causing the unique quirks is why I love my house and what makes it special.
I relate this story of my old house to the people I meet. All of what we have experienced in our years is what makes us special. Getting to know what’s underneath the surface can lead to a deeper understanding and respect. It would be easy to move into a new house with perfectly smooth walls and no paint colors. There is no character or soul in a house like that. I accept the things that make my house unique and grow to love them.
Samantha Wilson, Learning and Development Leader 