Across the street from where Dale grew up were some very special neighbors. They had children close to Dale and his sister's age and the two families were very close. These were neighbors that drove 4 hours out to attend our wedding. Whenever we came to visit, we (even me) were always greeted with warm hellos and hugs. They knew what was going on in our lives and always seemed genuinely interested in knowing more and they just genuinely cared.
When Dale died, these neighbors were out of the country and couldn't make it back in time for the funeral. What they did instead was open up the doors of their home for the people who were traveling from far away, including myself. I stayed there with my son and my best friend who stayed with me for support. When Dale's friends from NYC came the night before, they all stayed there too. And it was incredible. It was simply wonderful to not be alone and to be with the people that were closest to Dale at that time. We cried, we told stories, we laughed, and we cried some more. I cannot begin to express how grateful I was for these neighbors generosity in opening their home to all of us. Those moments shared are truly treasured.
For Dale, he partially grew up in that home being so close to them. They had a swimming pool where Dale learned to swim and where we eventually took our son to swim for the very first time. It was the place where Dale looked forward to teaching our son how to swim. The home itself is gorgeous... a Victorian beauty. It was a home that we had discussed buying one day should these neighbors ever actually sell as they had begun to hint years ago.
Today I took my son to visit his grandparents and I was able to cross the street for one last big, warm hug from the neighbors. They just sold their house and were in the last hours of moving out the rest of their belongings as the new owners were taking ownership, today!
I actually started to cry and had to hold back when I was hugging this neighbor, this woman I barely know. She is a connection to Dale and she was always someone that I looked forward to seeing when I visited his hometown. She always welcomed me with that big, warm hug and it made that difficult visit less difficult. I am truly going to miss her (and her husband) not being there.
I also couldn't help but to think about how Dale and I had discussed living in that house. I remember the first time he took me through a walk-through of it to see if I liked it. We talked about the pros and cons of living across the street from his parents. Four years ago, it seemed like a possibility. And today...
Today, when we were still embraced in that hug, this neighbor told me to keep those pictures of my son coming on Facebook. She told me how much she has enjoyed watching him grow through the pictures that I post. She also told me to keep her updated on any changes in my life. She told me that's its time and that I deserve it. That's when I really started to lose it. I don't need permission to move on in my life, but I do think I wanted to hear it from someone from his side.
Emotions have been running high lately... And I appreciated (and will miss) that hug from across the street so very much.
When Dale died, these neighbors were out of the country and couldn't make it back in time for the funeral. What they did instead was open up the doors of their home for the people who were traveling from far away, including myself. I stayed there with my son and my best friend who stayed with me for support. When Dale's friends from NYC came the night before, they all stayed there too. And it was incredible. It was simply wonderful to not be alone and to be with the people that were closest to Dale at that time. We cried, we told stories, we laughed, and we cried some more. I cannot begin to express how grateful I was for these neighbors generosity in opening their home to all of us. Those moments shared are truly treasured.
For Dale, he partially grew up in that home being so close to them. They had a swimming pool where Dale learned to swim and where we eventually took our son to swim for the very first time. It was the place where Dale looked forward to teaching our son how to swim. The home itself is gorgeous... a Victorian beauty. It was a home that we had discussed buying one day should these neighbors ever actually sell as they had begun to hint years ago.
Today I took my son to visit his grandparents and I was able to cross the street for one last big, warm hug from the neighbors. They just sold their house and were in the last hours of moving out the rest of their belongings as the new owners were taking ownership, today!
I actually started to cry and had to hold back when I was hugging this neighbor, this woman I barely know. She is a connection to Dale and she was always someone that I looked forward to seeing when I visited his hometown. She always welcomed me with that big, warm hug and it made that difficult visit less difficult. I am truly going to miss her (and her husband) not being there.
I also couldn't help but to think about how Dale and I had discussed living in that house. I remember the first time he took me through a walk-through of it to see if I liked it. We talked about the pros and cons of living across the street from his parents. Four years ago, it seemed like a possibility. And today...
Today, when we were still embraced in that hug, this neighbor told me to keep those pictures of my son coming on Facebook. She told me how much she has enjoyed watching him grow through the pictures that I post. She also told me to keep her updated on any changes in my life. She told me that's its time and that I deserve it. That's when I really started to lose it. I don't need permission to move on in my life, but I do think I wanted to hear it from someone from his side.
Emotions have been running high lately... And I appreciated (and will miss) that hug from across the street so very much.
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