“Can I just sit in the stairwell?” I asked the owner of “The French Hen” – this antique store that had once been my home.
I am sure she hated those stairs; everyone did. At least everyone who didn’t grow up running up and down them a million times a day. They were old, tall and steep, the stairs of this house that grew when the dog-trot turned into a hallway once-upon-a-time ago.
I remember falling down them when they were occasional to me, little feet in tights slipping on old polished wood to fly out and . . . thunk-bump! on the slim cushion of my littleness. Tears would spring to my eyes even before my mind recovered its sense.
Yet, here I was, years later, sitting on those 200+ year-old-steps, hoping for what I am not sure. Maybe for my grandmother to walk past, the harness bells once on the front door to jingle, to pull off my grandfather’s work boots one more time, to catch bees in jars or slurp honey-suckle from the backyard vine.
“Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions” (Ecc. 7:10)
Better Days? They weren’t. I know that. I don’t want to go back. I never want to go back. God has brought me so far.
Despite life’s challenges, each year, each day is sweeter and sweeter – holistically so much better.
Redemption – given and taken – is a life improver. Faith means knowing there is sunshine behind the clouds. Hope means knowing God has goodness in store – no matter today’s salty tears. God’s love means that His love heals, wrapping around me warming away the cold soul-chills of brokenness.
He has led me to something so[ul] better best.
“In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling” (Exodus 15: 13-14).
So I sat in the stairwell, not because life here was better. Homesick maybe. Missing people I loved. Missing grandfather’s azaleas – or how he would hide on the ledge at the top of the stairs to scare the hee-bee-gee-bees out of us when we went up for bedtime, grandmother’s fried chicken, lazy summer afternoons on the front porch, life B.C. (before children). Standing in front of the big fireplace during the winter of ’77 and turning, turning, turning like a good roast over a fire pit – but I was in front – and it was an old house with floor furnace, a gas stove and this fireplace.
After my parents divorce, 5-year-old me climbing into my grandfather’s lap and falling half asleep. My grandmother came in asking him to do something. She hushed and walked softly away, letting my grandfather hold me until I was slept out. I understood Father-God love through my grandfather’s love.
“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost–also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic” (Num 11:5).
No, this is not like the Children of Israel being scared, not understanding the future and missing what was comfortable, what was familiar, not bondage to my past.
It is a vintage thing.
Vintage whole cloth memory is not what brought me to the stairwell. What brings me to the stairwell is looking at my past fully and gathering the blessings left there.
Vintage: (verb) to gather or harvest (grapes)[blessings] for wine-making [remembrances] (1828 Noah Webster Dictionary)
To vintage my past, to sort through and let go of the bad and to press the good into my heart.(BCM sentence example of Webster verb definition of vintage)
To vintage (verb) is a joy-catching thing, catching things of God.(BCM definition)
Joy-catching moments like when God and I talked between the azaleas and forsythia. Where I asked Him to make me special to Him. Friday night steaks, my mother’s sewing machine where she made my navy blue prom dress with navy Bill Blass lace (a client where she worked had a son who worked for Bill Blass. He told his son that we couldn’t find pretty enough navy blue lace – and he sent beautiful blue lace to his father – free of charge), where I learned Saul became Paul, the feel twilight grass under my feet in the Spring, learning to trust God as I walked upstairs to bed in pitch black darkness, trusting that He wouldn’t let anything get me, where I learned love can be soft, tough, and graceless and that for love to endure and reach to all family roots one must love with forgiveness, the cardinal outside my window in the Oak tree in the sweet coolness of a summer morning after grandmother turned off the window fan.
I want to catch those blessings God left for me – more precious than the teacup my grandmother left on the wooden box at the foot of my bed one Christmas morning.
Some moments, memories, details you catch – and they are immeasurable, like dust particles floating in the sunlight. It is just a matter of looking for them in just the right light.
Some moments need to be discarded like memories of feeling like a second-hand child, seeing myself as the goose girl when I was a princess all along.
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Exodus 20:2)
I sat there that day in the stairwell remembering flying down those stairs on the way to living, climbing them to rest. I sat there, waiting. Waiting for what, I don’t know – but, something in my heart needed. . . something.
Sighing, I pulled myself up. Stairwells are not for sitting. Stairwells are passageways for living. The only thing left worth keeping are the joy-catching moments, the blessings.
Maybe that is why I went – to vintage – to gather the memory of those blessings, the worthwhile pieces out of the whole cloth.
I thanked the lady when I left and walked out.
This isn’t a Lot story. This is a blessing thing, a vintage thing, collecting all the sweet gifts God left me in the backyard, in the kitchen, on the front porch, in the stairwell of where I came from.
In the gathering, I discover how this Father that is God has been intentional in my life, been present for every event, big and little – and that it is never too late to gather the blessing, the joy!
They are still there. Gather them. Vintage them.
168) a menagerie of stuffed bears in whimsical arrangement in a yard, reminding me of how when I look for the blessings, I find unusual, out-of-the-box things
169) A group of red cardinals and their less colorful mates dealing with an afternoon frustration of a mockingbird.
170) Taco soup, an orange juice cake and chicken salad made by a sweet co-worker on the first day of my new job
171) My grandmother’s coffee cake going with me to work that first day
172) Generosity of spirit from my trainer and other team members who say, “It takes a year to learn it all. Be patient with yourself.” And I wish I lived life like that in every area.
173) A window view at my desk
174) Heart doctors taking care of my mom over 16 hours away
175) Praying friends
176) Brothers helping a brother move with good humor on a Saturday morning
177) Green spinach, yellow eggs, beige artichokes and brown sausage in a white pottery pie pan lined with a puff pastry baking into a weeks breakfast
178) A friend walking a couple of miles with me
179) Snowflakes, bunches of them, so many I couldn’t see my neighbor’s house
180) Strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple and grapes in a trifle bowl for a baby shower
181) “I’ll give you a hug for some pineapple,” a son asked. I readily agreed.
182) Leftovers
183) My candy jar filled with mini Cadbury eggs on my home desk.
184) A matching one on my work desk filled with M&Ms (so wish people would eat them so I could fill it with Cadbury Eggs)
185) Mini Cadbury Eggs in 1 lb bags
186) Boys who help with the dishes on their assigned nights
187) Bedtime hugs and discussions – not taking them for granted.
188) Cornering my teen in the kitchen and flinging a hug on him.
189) Being able to take lunch early on Fridays so I can spend time with my Friday morning knitting group
190) How all my aunts pull close when one of their sisters needs them
191) A Tide Stick removing a very frustrating situation, allowing nothing permanent to remain literally and figuratively
192) That long distance has changed so it is no longer an occasional thing and I can talk to my mother in the hospital at any time.
193) Yellow Post-it Notes for Prayer requests on my bathroom mirror, helping me to keep my promises.
194) My son graduates from his AIT training this week from the reserves. He asked me to help him with his resume because he knows he has a mom who can do that. So glad God put layers and layers of things inside each of us, enabling us to minister in ways unimaginable to our children.
195) Learning to intentionally vintage God’s blessings all around.
Beautiful! I love this line – “Faith means knowing there is sunshine behind the clouds.” You have such a way with words, emotion and real life.
Thank you for sharing.
Hugs,
Kerry
What a beautiful post! It was so moving!
“I understood Father-God love through my grandfather’s love”
What a precious line.
What a precious memory.
What a beautiful post.
To vintage my past, to sort through and let go of the bad and to press the good into my heart.
Perfect. I needed to hear that and to apply that to my life. It has been such a challenge to look back without wading through all the pain and hurt of the past, but this is perfect.
Thank you Maryleigh.
Some will say “forget the past” especially the ones that hurt us the most…But it is not realistic to do so because whatever happened from the past, good or bad, helps us I believe to create our future…Like what you said, picking up the good ones and etching them in our hearts. Congratulations sister on the new job and thank you for your visit and especially the prayers! Praying for God’s wisdom and discernment to continue to guide you, as you take every step towards the “future”…while looking back and reminiscing the lovin’ times. Blessings.
Soulfully beautiful and redemptive in its sharing…Love these lines: Faith means knowing there is sunshine behind the clouds. Hope means knowing God has goodness in store – no matter today’s salty tears. God’s love means that His love heals, wrapping around me warming away the cold soul-chills of brokenness.
Really enjoyed reading your vintage memories and how God met you…thank you 🙂
Lovely, lovely. What a beautiful way to receive the blessings and release the pain. Thank you so much for linking up. 🙂
{{sigh}} I always love the spilling out of your heart. Your words are like honey gliding sweetly over my tongue. I love reminiscing. I like visiting the vintage staircase, but, like you, I wouldn’t want to go back. Thank you for this!
Sitting on the stairs of a house you once spent much time in growing up; priceless. You have a lovely way of describing it. Many times the past can be painful. Divorce can impact so negatively. So glad that God found you and wooed you to Himself. May He heal all the hurts and comfort you today.
I love your list!
blessings and love,
Debbie
You have a way, Maryleigh, you have a special way. I’ve read a lot of posts as women chronicled their 1000 gifts. They’ve all made me think, “wow, what a wonderful and worthful exercise.” Only you can make it poetry, and one of the 1000 gifts for everyone that reads it.
All I can say is beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed your writing today. What a wonderful gift from the Father above.
Wow. Lots and lots of profound thoughts here. The stairs remind me of the ones at my in-laws. I always feared when my children were small that they would trip on them. But how many tiny steps successfully navigated up and down them.
Vintage moments. Catching the joy.
Beautiful post.
No matter the past, there are always wonderful memories as well. Children have a way of finding simple joys that are forever treasured so I’m glad you found a wealth of those to bring with you to your better present days.
This is amazingly magnificent! One of my favorites that you’ve ever written! So many beautifully written lines…and I love how you’ve brought to the reader’s attention the meaning of vintage! Bravo! Standing ovation from me!
Joy catching moments – I love, love, love that! A son graduating — woo hoo. congrats! Blessings this week.
hey Gal! Did you come by and get your award? I know there are “rules” for it, but I liked the fact that we didn’t HAVE to share it if we didn’t want to, so if you don’t want to mess with sending it to others, just accept it from me and enjoy it. It is just “copy and paste, Just know I was thinking of you.
God bless,
PJ
What a beautiful post. As you were remembering, it brought around my own memories.
Reminds me of “The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert.
This I love: I want to catch those blessings God left for me.
yes. I often reflect on being at my grandmother’s house. I relish finding things of hers and holding them to my nose, breathing in what is left of her scent. It’s hard for me right now to not want to go back, but I understand what you are saying in this piece. Lovely, as always.
I am glad you had your grandfather at such a difficult time. You were so young too.
Fondly,
Glenda
Opps. Guess my daughter commented on your blog, too, while she had my computer. I showed up as her. (which is just fine with me.) 🙂
Fondly,
Glenda
Now my original comment is gone.
“I am glad you had your grandfather at such an important and difficult time in your young life.”
Fondly,
Glenda
so glad you could see those stairs again, and such a cool way to honor your past while keeping your focus forward.
“to vintage” I love that. And I love snow, sharing pineapple and that you get to help your son on his resume. Always love visiting here. Blessings to you!
Really lovely.
I love how you took us to your childhood with you. I knew you there and could see me in mine at the same time. Beautiful, especially the last part about discovering how God has been intentional. Our lives in retrospect are obviously intentional in the loving hands of our Lord.
So incredibly beautiful. If only we would all ‘collect all the sweet gifts God leaves us in the backyard, in the kitchen, on the front porch, in the stairwell of where we came from.’ For. we do have so many gifts given by the Father of all Good Gifts.
Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!!! There is so much imagery and emotion that I love about this piece! What a lovely show of reminiscing woven into God’s Word. I LOVE how you use the word “vintage,” and tie it is so wonderfully into the heart of your thoughts!
This post makes me feel a bit wistful…thinking vintage too, I guess. Some things, yes you are right, need left back there; but isn’t it sweet when memory shines a light on the sweet and good? Such a lovely post.
“To vintage my past, to sort through and let go of the bad and to press the good into my heart.”
Beautiful! And so necessary.
In putting sorrow and pain behind us, it is easy to neglect the good memories that are a necessary part of healthy living.
Thank you for this beautiful reminder!
This was such a beautiful post! I love the idea of vintage – even for someone like me who didn’t have a wonderful childhood. There were still a lot of blessings that I have gathered and vintaged. Thank you so much for sharing this! This was such a blessing to read.
this was a beautiful post. i loved reading it. thanks so much for sharing.
wow, you have such a gift of storytelling, friend. you teach me so much about faith and God, and life. thank you.
A beautiful processing that could have brought pain — but instead offered life redeemed. A challenge to us all to vintage our pasts with care for our hearts. 🙂
Having just helped my parents move from our childhood home, this post resonated with me. Hard to separate the structure from the inhabitants. These old houses, they know all of our secrets.
Thanks for linking up!
Love the memories in this post. Beautiful and heartfelt. I loved the words, “…looking at my past fully and gathering the blessings left there.” I’m returning to my childhood past this week and will be gathering the blessings left there.
So beautiful.
I think it’s fine to look back- as long as we still move forward.
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