When my children were little we had the good fortune of a close friend’s help. She was a neighbor of mine growing up. She wound up being like a third grandmother to our children. Though she had children of her own, none of her children had children of their own. Mrs. T., who loved children, babysat our kids at least once a week, sharing the duties with my mother when my wife had to go to work. As my children grew up, they remained close to her. When the time came to sell her house, she sold it to my daughter and her husband, where they now are raising their children. This transaction is a source of joy to both parties and a concrete example of how people spread good will in a major way.
Mrs. T. now lives outside of Seattle, close to her oldest son, on the opposite side of the country from where our families lived. In August, she celebrated her 90th birthday. We were invited. None of my children could make the trip with us (though my daughter has visited her since) but we were able to bring our oldest grandchild. He was born before Mrs. T. made the move, but the move came before he was old enough to have much of a recollection of the memories. He was familiar with stories of her kindness and generosity and certainly knows she lived in his house before he was born. Reuniting them was, as Mrs. T. said, “the best present we could bring.” The long embrace that they shared will be a fond memory for them both. If you are an invited friend of this website, click here to see the private photos. The public photos (which are few) of the Seattle area can be seen by clicking here.