A New Era

We had such a fantastic time with family in Wisconsin.  It was so good, in fact, I'm having to work hard to convince myself that we don't need to move again right now.  I mean, we're still not totally unpacked from our move to this home last July.  There were just so many nice moments and I'm very thankful we all had a chance to spend some time together.  One of the highlights of the trip for me was a visit to the farm on Saturday.  The house was built by Doug's grandfather and has been passed down in the family.  It is now owned by Doug's wonderful cousin Linda, who was so gracious to have us all over for lunch after the funeral service.  The land up there is truly God's country.  It's just open and beautiful for as far as the eye can see.  Doug has so many fond memories of his childhood summers spent at the farm and it makes me happy that our children had a chance to make some of their own memories.  When you walk onto the porch, it just smells like home.  I can't exactly pinpoint the smell but it's a combination of apple pie and cinnamon, and homemade soup; everything warm and welcoming.  The stairs still have the same creak they had when Doug was a child.  There are tons of pictures hanging on the wall of family from 100 years ago up to today.  It tickled me to walk by a table and see a picture of  Doug and his sister as children dressed for a special occasion, perhaps Easter, just sitting there on top of a stack of other family memories.  It warms my heart to think about all the family that have passed through those doors, eaten at that table, and shared so many special times.  On the way home, Doug mentioned that he felt a bit sad because being at the farm reminded him that we are truly at the end of an era.  With Ruth's passing, everyone from that generation has now moved onto a better place.  For me, I took comfort in the fact that even though those before us have passed on, the house and land are still links which tie us to them.  The family is still gathering together and the house is still full of love and laughter.  New memories are being made and the family bond is being strengthened.  It may be a new era but what a wonderful legacy.