Someone named Linda
Have you ever had one of those moments? A second in time where everything just clicked into placed and you felt completely at peace. I had one of those moments this very evening. More on that later.
So here we are, once again. As I type this I am sitting on the balcony of condo 36 at the Ocean Club on Smugglers Beach in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. I can here the waves coming to shore, and the temperature is a very pleasing 50 degrees with no wind on this dark November night. This it the 3rd year out of the past 4 that my wife Tiffany and at least 2 of my sons has made the trek here for our assigned week 46 here at the ocean club.
This was my Dad and Mom's spot. Nearly every year from the late eighties to about 2007 they made the trek across Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, and sometimes New Jersey and Rhode Island to Massachusetts. Dad was from here, having grown up at 5 Rebecca Road in Canton. And Mom, well she was along for the fairy tale ride that started in 1986 when they were married and only ended when cancer took her away in 2009. My siblings and I came along for a couple of years when we were kids, but that was before they bought this place where I sit tonight. No, it was only after the grandkids came along that they decided they needed more than a hotel to have as homebase when they brought my boys out with them. So they bought this "oceanhouse" as they boys call it.
Through the years memories were made in those Novembers. I could, and very well may, just blog about those. But born out of these New England treks was my mothers addiction to 2 things. First, the lighthouses. She loved them. Took a thousand photos of them, and was always looking for one more. Funny how I do the same now.
Second, was her addiction to the Christmas Tree Shoppes and, more specifically, the original near the Sagamore Bridge that connects Cape Cod to the mainland. It was her happy place from the moment that we first pulled into the parking lot in that big blue station wagon in 1986. One year she packed an empty suitcase just to fill it with goodies from there. He caught her. So the next year she was much more clever and stashed a duffel bag that zipped up inside of itself to make it as small as possible. Yeah, he caught on and gave it to my Papaw before we even left Ohio. Not her greatest moment, but still she LOVED that place.
And so do I.
We had already been to the location near the Cape Cod Mall this week. So the soul purpose of going to the original this evening was to pay homage to her. I have done it every time I have been out, and always will.
I have often wondered if she is watching over me and my family. Most the time I believe she is. And now, since he has been gone (51 days today), I get the feeling that he has joined her. After all, as I sat with my family at breakfast at the Pancake Man Saturday, I could have sworn I saw him sitting at the end of the table. His arm extended out over the back of another chair and just watching us enjoy the legacy he has left us.
Maybe I did see him. Or maybe I did not. But 2 things I know for sure. The first is that by the time we come back next year, his name will no longer be on the deed. Instead, it will be mine in his place. My amazing siblings decided to let me continue this part of their legacy with my children and now, grandchildren. Thank you so much Angelia and Josh. You cannot know what that means to me.
The second thing I know for sure is that this evening, as I was browsing the aisles of the Christmas Tree Shoppe at Sagamore Bridge, I heard an employee's walkie talkie click off. Here is the conversation:
Woman: Mike, you have a call on line 1
Mike: Who is it?
Woman: Someone named Linda.
WOW
All doubt removed as they made sure I knew they were there.
Remember that moment I talked about at the top of the blog?
Peace.
I miss my parents. I cannot ever remember shedding as many tears as I have this week. My sister says it's memories. And she is partially right. But I also believe it is legacy. And I am so grateful for that.
She keeps his cell phone on so we can hear his voice. And I have started to call it 4 times this week. But everytime I do, I know more tears are coming when he doesn't answer. Not sure I am ready for that tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
Even though this week has been bittersweet, I love my life. And I am so grateful and blessed to be Here, living out their legacy in their happy place.
It is truly good to be me.
So here we are, once again. As I type this I am sitting on the balcony of condo 36 at the Ocean Club on Smugglers Beach in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. I can here the waves coming to shore, and the temperature is a very pleasing 50 degrees with no wind on this dark November night. This it the 3rd year out of the past 4 that my wife Tiffany and at least 2 of my sons has made the trek here for our assigned week 46 here at the ocean club.
This was my Dad and Mom's spot. Nearly every year from the late eighties to about 2007 they made the trek across Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, and sometimes New Jersey and Rhode Island to Massachusetts. Dad was from here, having grown up at 5 Rebecca Road in Canton. And Mom, well she was along for the fairy tale ride that started in 1986 when they were married and only ended when cancer took her away in 2009. My siblings and I came along for a couple of years when we were kids, but that was before they bought this place where I sit tonight. No, it was only after the grandkids came along that they decided they needed more than a hotel to have as homebase when they brought my boys out with them. So they bought this "oceanhouse" as they boys call it.
Through the years memories were made in those Novembers. I could, and very well may, just blog about those. But born out of these New England treks was my mothers addiction to 2 things. First, the lighthouses. She loved them. Took a thousand photos of them, and was always looking for one more. Funny how I do the same now.
Second, was her addiction to the Christmas Tree Shoppes and, more specifically, the original near the Sagamore Bridge that connects Cape Cod to the mainland. It was her happy place from the moment that we first pulled into the parking lot in that big blue station wagon in 1986. One year she packed an empty suitcase just to fill it with goodies from there. He caught her. So the next year she was much more clever and stashed a duffel bag that zipped up inside of itself to make it as small as possible. Yeah, he caught on and gave it to my Papaw before we even left Ohio. Not her greatest moment, but still she LOVED that place.
And so do I.
We had already been to the location near the Cape Cod Mall this week. So the soul purpose of going to the original this evening was to pay homage to her. I have done it every time I have been out, and always will.
I have often wondered if she is watching over me and my family. Most the time I believe she is. And now, since he has been gone (51 days today), I get the feeling that he has joined her. After all, as I sat with my family at breakfast at the Pancake Man Saturday, I could have sworn I saw him sitting at the end of the table. His arm extended out over the back of another chair and just watching us enjoy the legacy he has left us.
Maybe I did see him. Or maybe I did not. But 2 things I know for sure. The first is that by the time we come back next year, his name will no longer be on the deed. Instead, it will be mine in his place. My amazing siblings decided to let me continue this part of their legacy with my children and now, grandchildren. Thank you so much Angelia and Josh. You cannot know what that means to me.
The second thing I know for sure is that this evening, as I was browsing the aisles of the Christmas Tree Shoppe at Sagamore Bridge, I heard an employee's walkie talkie click off. Here is the conversation:
Woman: Mike, you have a call on line 1
Mike: Who is it?
Woman: Someone named Linda.
WOW
All doubt removed as they made sure I knew they were there.
Remember that moment I talked about at the top of the blog?
Peace.
I miss my parents. I cannot ever remember shedding as many tears as I have this week. My sister says it's memories. And she is partially right. But I also believe it is legacy. And I am so grateful for that.
She keeps his cell phone on so we can hear his voice. And I have started to call it 4 times this week. But everytime I do, I know more tears are coming when he doesn't answer. Not sure I am ready for that tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
Even though this week has been bittersweet, I love my life. And I am so grateful and blessed to be Here, living out their legacy in their happy place.
It is truly good to be me.
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