hometowns

Yesterday, I spent the day with my dad while my step-mom went on a shopping spree with her three daughters. He lives in the town where I was born, grew up, married, and lived until I was 22. Much has changed since I left in 1976, ( a lot more fast food places... we had two, the Dairy Queen and the King and Queen..ha! ha!) but much has also remained the same.
The town was established in 1832. The quaint downtown is anchored by a large, turreted, red brick, Victorian hotel (EST. 1892) where some pretty famous people visted in its "hey day". It closed when I was a child but has been been restored in recent years and is now a beautiful place to stay and dine.The sidewalks, in about a nine block area, are lined with crepe myrtles and street lamps. There are some empty storefronts, but they have done a pretty good job of recycling old spaces. An old gas station is now a bike store and the old police station now houses offices. One of my elemntary schools is in disrepair, but the other has been converted into the headquarters for some non-profit organizations.
The older residential area that is closest to downtown (and where I lived) is a treat to drive through. The streets have great historic names like Hancock, Taylor, Bell, Lee, and Jackson. They are lined with beautiful old antebellum homes surrounded by Bradford pear trees, dogwoods, camellias, azaleas, and magnolias. Several of the churches date back to the 1800's as well, including my home church where I was married in 1973. An interesting side note about the churches that I only noticed a few years ago. There is one church on Church Street and there are eight on Lee Street, including the one on Church St, because it is on the corner of Church and Lee... kind of funny, I think! :-)
I never really appreciated the beauty and history of my hometown while I lived there because it was all I knew. I didn't have anything to compare it to. I now live in a city with very little history. It began as a train stop for farmers and became a town in the 1940's. So, there aren't any really old houses or buildings... no downtown. And though the Clean Community Commission has created some green spaces, there still aren't any really pretty places to see.
So, do I love my city? Am I attached to the place I call home? Not really. But what I am attached to are the people we love that live here and to the history that our little family of five has here. We have many lifelong friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, that keep us here. They are the ones we call on when we need help or advice or comfort. They are the ones who have shared our joys,... been there when our babies were born and when they married. We have lived in the same house for 34 years and it is the only house our children have ever lived in. We have welcomed three grandchildren in this home. We were in the same church for 25 years. So, our three children grew up there. They were taught and loved and made lifelong friendships themselves. We believe God brought us here and we know He has blessed us here. So, until He calls us to another place, this is where we will be.
So, my hometown is prettier and richer in state history, but my children's hometown is richer in our history and that is much more important to me.