Having spent the first eleven years of his life in a town right near Pittsburgh, Dave knew a lot of the area and took me to the home where he grew up. The town is called "Beaver" and it looks like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
Quaint old houses line the sidewalked streets. Parks, schools, and churches are on street corners right in the heart of the neighborhood. The same grocery store from when Dave lived there was still on the main street as well as a little bakery that was locally owned.
It is the kind of town where you can get whatever you need...or go to wherever you need to go....by walking or riding a bike.
He excitedly showed me the public pool where he and his brother would go to swim all of the time in the warmer months. It was right down the street from his house and they would go there early in the morning and spend the whole day swimming and having fun with the other neighborhood kids.
Dave also pointed out the hilly road where they would go sledding after a good snow. The parents would put up little barriers so that no cars would use that section of road while the kids gleefully went sliding down the hill. Dave admitted to me that he was surprised that it wasn't quite as steep as he had remembered as a small child! In fact, in actuality it was just a gently sloping road. Funny how things look so much bigger through a child's eyes! Dave was amazed how so little had changed in the 40 plus years since he was living in Beaver. I was astonished by his memory of the streets and old landmarks. For a little while that day, I watched this 58 year old man feel like a kid again...It was a very special moment.
On this warm October day with just a hint of coolness in the air we went to the cemetery in the heart of Beaver and visited the graves of Dave's father and grandfather. I was glad that I could share this special moment with him.
We also went to the actual home in Beaver where Dave's mom grew up. I fell in love with it's quiet charm... I have attached a picture of the house above this posting.
Being there in this little town was almost like stepping into a different time zone. It was from a time when one could let their kids go riding around the neighborhood without too much worry or concern. The freedom to explore on one's own was pretty incredible back then. When I was growing up, the neighborhood kids would gather outside every afternoon and play ball together....or hopscotch, climb trees, or just play make believe. We would do this until we heard our parent's calling us to come in for dinner. Ah, the simplicity of life then...
It seems to be so much more complicated for kids nowadays with all of the "fearful possibilities" of crime out there. Instead of rushing outside to play until dinnertime, it seems as if kids now come safely home and stay inside as they get on their computers or watch tv.
Of course, the main event of the weekend in Pittsburgh was his niece's wedding! The wedding was lovely and Dave's niece looked exquisite as she was an absolutely beautiful bride. She and her new husband giddily stole kisses all through the evening as they beamed at each other.
But, besides all of the emotions that naturally go along with watching a young couple begin their lives together as man and wife, Dave's family is dealing with many other challenges that made the weekend even more touching.
Dave's only brother and sister are both battling different types of cancer right now. One is still struggling through strong chemotherapy treatments and the other is suffering from the ravages of the after affects of radiation treatments. The focus was on the wedding celebration and they both handled themselves with such dignity and grace, even though we all knew that they were dealing with their individual discomfort and pain. Needless to say, there were many tearful moments intertwined with the joy.
As I look ahead towards the future, I hope and pray that their bodies will be able to heal in the coming year and that they will both win their battles with this insidious disease....
And, I look forward to many, many more celebrations with Dave and his entire family.
1 comment:
Wow, what a neat little town... kinda remeinds me of where I grew up. Though where we sledded, the road at the bottom of the hill wasn't well traveled, so we just took our chances, we were invincible kids you know!!
So sorry about the family dealing with cancer treatment. I hope they both survive that part. I saw with my dad that it wasn't the disease that was the worst of it - it was the treatment and the after-effects of those. So wonderful that they were able to go to the wedding and be with loved ones, sure can make a body feel more normal.
Thanks always for sharing as you do, it makes me feel like I'm looking at a family album!
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