January, 28th, 2006
As January nears its calendar end, today our family celebrated and memorialized a long life of 95 years, and an end to that wonderful life on earth. What was clear today, is that the life of Ester and her husband Axel, who preceded her in heaven by 24 years, was responsible for the beginning of many lives, guiding those lives in honesty and faith. God does take, but always replaces with so much more. Two children, 11 grand children, of which I am one, and 23 great grand children, our life and our family are celebrated every day.
As Julie and I build Herons’ House, I recall vividly my youthful memories of Mor and Far. Not surprisingly, many of those remembrances involve construction and food. I remember their small kitchen in which we stuffed Danish sausage, made cheese, a Danish liver pate, and countless Danish cookies around the holidays. I remember the wood working shop out back where Far made furniture and gifts for friends and family. We helped him on occasion. The sawdust piles were amazing!
I labored helping Mor and Far building and refinishing their deck as a young teenager along with my best friend Todd Levigne. I can honestly say that was my first construction project! We worked all weekend and we were rewarded with stories, gratitude, and all the tacos at the taco shop that we could eat. Todd and I still talk about that weekend, neither one of us can remember if we ever got paid. The memories above are obviously more precious than those of cash payment.
This early morning, before driving north to the memorial service, I visited our home to give instructions to the craftsman. I was walking on our deck at Herons’ House above the wine cellar. I paused, and thought warmly about that weekend 30 years ago, that deck, my good friend Todd, and my grandmother. I thought about the path of my life, and how similar in some ways, my life, my values, mirror those of Mor and Far.
Similar but not the same, Far and Mor would have grown barley and had a still and brewery instead of grapes and a wine cellar!
A house is of wood and concrete, Our home is crafted of much stronger material.
A family celebrates life together, growing richer for each generation, for each passing.
Herons’ House is our home. We will be moving in, in a few short months.
Peder