You would have done this, right?

A couple of days ago, Clint, Carter and I sat on the steps outside of our house and pointed out the cars that went by.  This has become a regular family activity.  People usually get a kick out of seeing Carter point out their car and will wave and smile.  Walkers will stop and talk to us.  We hear the high school band practice across the street.  It's just one of those simple, free activities that seem to be fading away from family life due to our high tech culture's influence.

So on this particular day, a guy parks his car by ours and walks up the steps.  I figured he was visiting with one of our neighbors because we didn't recognize him.  We say hello to him and start to talk.  Come to find out, he actually lived in OUR duplex as a boy in the 1970s while his dad was attending seminary, and he just wanted to see how the area looks now.  Like the overly friendly person I am, I invite him right into our home (I later found out that Clint was surprised that I allowed this stranger in so fast).

Am I the only one that would do that?  I'm big on sentimental events and places in my past.  I would have never asked someone if I could go inside their current home/my childhood home (he didn't), but I would have been grateful for the offer.  It just seemed so natural to offer him a peek into his past.  I can do that for him.  Awesome.

Back to the stranger in my home...

We could tell that he was flooded with memories.  He went on and on telling us stories about his time in the duplex like his sister being washed in our sink when she had chicken pox (nice) and how he used to jump off the retaining wall in the backyard.  Our light fixture in the living room is the SAME one that was in the home when he lived there.

We learned that his dad is now 60 and still preaching.  His parents were around our ages when they lived here, and life was a big adjustment for their family.  We told him a little about ourselves and how drastically our lives have changed as well.  Before he left, he told us to not give up and continue to do God's work no matter how difficult life gets.  He thanked us for letting him into our home and left.

I'm so happy he got that moment, that rush of reminiscing.  It was really special.  :)