Hummingbirds

I realize it's been awhile and by now most of you know we have finally closed on our first home. We are thrilled and overwhelmed with the list of things to do and prepare before we move. We're excited and full of decisions to make on paint, carpet, washer and dryers etc. There will be many pics and DIY projects to blog about in the future I have no doubt. It is very hard to believe after waiting for so long we finally have our house. The gravity of it all hasn't set in yet and I am having a hard time believing it yet since we haven't moved. We closed the day after I had convinced myself it wasn't going to happen at all. All of those worries are behind us and I almost feel numb to the anxiety we experienced as we signed endless extensions. All I can see is our future!

First of all I'd like to give a little thank you to my Pep as I know he had something to do with the closing...

Leo, my Pep or Pepere as we say in french, came into my mother's life back in the late 1950s. He was a bachelor and no employer would hire him as he had lost 5 out of 10 fingers in an industrial accident years before. This prevented him from serving in WWII with all his buddies and left him searching for a purpose in life. He was a frustrated young man without much direction. My mother's father owned an office supply store and being the good man he was, gave Pep a chance and a job. My mom shared this story during the eulogy at Pep's memorial mass and her version is much more eloquent and thoughtful. She recalls: often times the day started in the basement of the family home with supplies and mom recalls only wanting "Leo" to take her out of her crib. He was a wonderful man, always brought the kids fun toys and occupied their curious minds with inquisitive tasks and projects as they grew up. Leo knew all kinds of trivia, could fix anything and always had a smile on his face. My mom's Dad grew ill and when she was 15, he died. Leo helped my Memere keep the family business afloat and was the support person for Mom and my Uncle Paul into their teenage years.

One day, several years after her husband's death, Memere asked Mom's permission if it was ok that Leo took her out to dinner. "Of course it was ok, it's Leo!" she exclaimed. The rest is history and 29 years ago, they married.

Pep was the only grandfather my brother and I ever knew. He loved his family and we were all that he had after loosing his sisters and brothers all at a young age to heart disease. Leo needed a family and we needed a father and a grandfather and God provided. It was as if it was in the plans so long ago that the perfect man came into a shop one day inquiring for a job, little did he know he was really receiving a family.

I grew up my whole life with my grandparents just upstairs in my house. I never needed a baby sitter and had the benefit of 2 sets of parents. (Except, my grandparents never disciplined, a fact my brother and I used to our advantage!) They were wonderful years, a gift you don't realize at the time but are so grateful for when you think back.

Pep's heart disease, loss of eye sight and development of dementia made his last few years difficult. He spent his last few months in a safe dementia unit surrounded by staff who knew how to keep Pep safe and calm. He enjoyed his music and looking at the flowers through the window, what little of them he was still able to see. Pep always told Mom he could see a hummingbird come to his window. Though no one else ever saw it, Pep insisted the hummingbird was there. On July 2nd, he died in Mem's arms after standing up to tell her he loved her. It was the day before his 86th birthday.

That day as my family mourned Peps loss in his room, Mom saw the hummingbird at the window...

So what does all of this have to do with our house? Pat and I flew home for Pep's memorial last week. My family knew we were stressing the closing of our house because it was plagued with delays and extensions all of which were out of our control. Mem told us "Pep is going to make this work, I just know it." She believed this and so did we.

On our way back to the airport after our trip, we heard the news that the 'golden ticket' needed had arrived and we were on path to an eventual closing. I smiled when our realtor said 'golden ticket'. He was only referring to a piece of paper escrow needed from the seller, but all I thought about was chocolate. You know, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Charlie and Grandpa Joe? When you had the golden ticket, anything was possible, even having Grandpa Joe walk! I thought of my Memere and her belief that Pep in heaven would make everything ok.

The day we closed I came home to meet Pat and our realtor at home. As we stood in the doorway of our rental before we set off for our first visit to our new home, Pat and I saw something near the flowers. It was a hummingbird.

Thanks Pep! We love you! xo