My brother and I just spent a weekend in our hometown of Tallahassee, FL painting the exterior of my mother's house of 13+ years. We did this same thing one weekend about 10 years ago while my mother was on vacation in New Mexico. The only difference is 10 years ago we were painting as a surprise/birthday gift for our mom. This time we were painting for the simple fact that my mother will be retiring in the next five years and will be downsizing soon. There were of course other differences, especially in our ability to stand on ladders with our arms above our heads all day long and still be able to go out with friends on Saturday night only to get up and paint for 8 more hours on Sunday. Needless to say we weren't physically able to do any extra-curricular activities on Saturday night this time. Also unlike 10 years ago, my mother actually had a say so in the paint color this time and between all three of us we decided on a three color scheme of a cream color for the majority of the house, a dark shade of taupe for the shutters & garage door and bright red for the front door. I should've taken "before and after" pictures, but the finished product looked like it could've been on the TV show "Flip this House" I must say. I'm really not bragging. Before we finished I didn't think the color scheme would go together well. I was instantly impressed with the results. I will have my mother take a photo and email it to me so I can add the image on a subsequent blog post for the benefit of everyone's viewing pleasure.
Even though the painting wasn't the greatest thing, the event brought my mom, brother & I together for a weekend that we normally wouldn't see each other since we all live so far apart. In between brush strokes we were able to reconnect with each other and appreciate what this house has meant for all of us, especially my mother. Also, the 4 hour drive to and from the Tampa Airport with my brother gave us ample time to bond and share glimpses of each other's immediate lives. These are very important moments for family members yet these are also the moments that are so easily forgotten. It is a shame that we sometimes don't realize the important times until a not so desirable event brings family together.
It feels good to thank our mother's house by giving it a facelift. It also feels good that our mother's house was able to thank us by bringing us together.......again. My weekend trip to Tallahassee reminded me that houses are not just products that are for sale, they are instead very powerful and unique structures.
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