We visited my parents’ new home today ( they’re blogging about it here), to see how things were coming along. It’s due to be ready in a few weeks, and so we wanted to see some of the “behind the scene” stuff. What we discovered when we got there touched my heart more than I could’ve ever imagined.
As we circled the property, Mom pointed out the hill in the backyard that slopes away and down into the woods. “That’s the sledding trail we had made for the kids.” She pointed to the left of that, at an embankment. “That’s the strawberry and blueberry patch area, so the kids can pick them in the summer.” We skipped right over the frisbee-playing area to the front yard, where a new big stone was in place. “Oh, that’s the thinking stone. You can go sit on it and think.” My daughter tried it out right away. Just down from the thinking stone is a garden area “for Katrina. She mentioned she wanted to plant a few things, and the tree guy said this area gets the most sun and water.”
Inside, there was even more, including putting plates down on a lower shelf in the cabinetry, so that my daughter and my niece can set the table. While we explored the rest of the house, my Dad was outside with my son, watching him put little stones from the gravel onto the stairway, exactly like Violette used to do when SHE was two.
There are probably 100 other details that I didn’t see right away, but the biggest point is that my parents built an entire home around the mindset of family and love. Every detail had everyone else in mind. I’m grateful for that, and looking forward to our first meal in that house. It makes me think differently about where I live, and how we could think more about the people we love in that space.
Does that make sense?
by Chris Brogan
Photo graciously provided by the author, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
Recent Posts By Chris Brogan
14 responses so far ↓
Gradon // Jul 15, 2008 at 8:40 am
Chris, this is exactly what home design should be about. It’s about how you and your family live in and around that space; not what would impress the neighbors, or up the resale value in the short term. Congrats to your parents on their new home!
Loukas Koufodontes // Jul 15, 2008 at 8:43 am
That’s awesome Chris. That will make your kids want to go to Grandma/Grandpa’s house. The memories they’ll have will always be embedded.
Steve // Jul 15, 2008 at 8:43 am
Yes, it does make sense Chris. Thanks for sharing – thinking like this always pays off.
Veronique // Jul 15, 2008 at 8:46 am
Sounds like a real HOME to me
Sarah Morgan // Jul 15, 2008 at 8:46 am
What a great story – and what wonderful people.
Inspires you to think about all spaces that way. Are they laid out in ways that appreciate the people that will use them?
Awesome food for thought. Thanks!
Armando G // Jul 15, 2008 at 8:53 am
This country has gone through a funny time, where we have focused so much on square footage, plot size, and location prestige that, as a society, we are losing our sense of “home”.
It is so nice to see that such care has been given to creating a home. I hope that things exceed their expectations.
Loukas Koufodontes // Jul 15, 2008 at 8:58 am
I asked you on Twitter, what pushes and inspires you? Now I see where you get it from.
Evette // Jul 15, 2008 at 9:13 am
That’s the kind of home I’d like one day. I think it’s very sweet of your parents to have so consciously made family an integral part of their home.
Sandie Law // Jul 15, 2008 at 9:57 am
The home sounds delightful – built just for the family. Built specifically for the family. This is they house your kids will drive past with their families 30 years from now talking about the hours spent on the thinking rock or the hot cocoa grandma made when they came in from sledding. I dream of having the funds to do this for my family.
Cheryl Smith // Jul 15, 2008 at 10:02 am
Chris,
It really is all about relationships and how we make people feel about themselves after they’ve been with us. Your parents helped you feel valued, loved & cherished – with their new house, and I suspect, throughout your life. Looks like the apple doesn’t fall from from the tree.
So the question for all of us, is, how do we leave others? What can we do to make sure that each encounter with the people in our space (home, work, the grocery store) leaves them feeling better about themselves?
Thanks for the inspiration and example.
Best,
Cheryl
Steve Woodruff // Jul 15, 2008 at 10:04 am
Good stuff, Chris. That’s what home (and grandparent’s home!) is all about. Even though our 5 are still under our roof, I often dream of the ideal “HomeNext” for grandkids – I love how your parents considered that in the design!
Mark Story // Jul 15, 2008 at 10:19 am
Wow, Chris.
I take my own role as a parent pretty seriously, but now it makes even more sense why your sonis in your Twitter profile picture.
You have great parents.
Mark
Rob // Jul 15, 2008 at 10:19 am
Ditto on @Loukas and @Cheryl for the “apple/tree” thing.
It is interesting to see that the care you have for others, the stories of others, and their thinking can be found in your upbringing.
The fact that you have carefully created a space at chrisbrogan.com, PodCamp, as well as your use of other social media tools, to encourage participation, seems rooted in your genetic make-up and the culture your parents undoubtedly shaped for you.
Hats off to your folks.
links for 2008-07-16 | Why I FAILED // Jul 19, 2008 at 7:06 am
[...] Building A House With Love In Mind | GNMParents The cool way to think about your living space (tags: life personal_development success family) [...]
Leave a Comment