Of decks and bridges

Sorry to be AWOL from the column again last week but I was out building decks and bridges. Let me explain. 

Over the last couple years my daughter and son-inlaw decided to downsize from a 6000 + Sq Ft to a 2000 + Sq Ft house to get ready for a whole new chapter in their lives. They’ve been living in Greenwich, CT, a quintessential New England town with beautiful rock-fenced homes and roads that follow winding creeks; an absolute delight to the eyes no matter where you go whether in the villages thriving with boutiques or out in the country.

Finding the right house to move into was quite a challenge. It not only had to be the “right house,” but it also had to be near the girls’ school and near a train station for my son-in-law to commute into the financial center of Manhattan. Finally, they found just the right house about a month ago, only a couple of weeks before they committed to be out of their house…..whew, it was close timing! The “New” house (built in the 1930’s but freshly remodeled), was perfect except for one thing…..it didn’t have a deck (my, my aren’t we spoiled!). I can’t blame them; we love our deck too. It’s become one of the most used “Rooms” in the house.

When my daughter sent us pictures of the new house, she gently hinted at asking me to come help them build a deck off the back of the house. Well, it’s 1000 miles and it would take at least a week away from all my chores here at the farm during calving season for us (another one born this morning!) but invitations like this don’t come very often. So I checked my Delta Sky miles and booked a ticket.

This was the schedule:

•Arrive late Sunday afternoon.

•Size up the challenges Sunday evening

•Agree on the basic design and dimensions Monday AM

•Do a detailed drawing and order the material Monday afternoon

•Material delivered Tuesday AM

•Build the deck Tuesday PM to Friday PM

•Celebrate with grilled steaks and dinner on the deck Fri night.

•Return home Saturday AM

In other words, long days of non-stop work. but that’s only half of it; I also built a bridge while I was there! …..A communication bridge.

As I said, Connecticut is a 1000 miles north and we only get to see my daughter and her family once or twice most years. That’s not enough to have the kind of family closeness that my wife and I cherish among our extended family. Cell phones and video calls are great but there’s nothing like living in someone’s home for a week to know their real challenges and how to pray for each other.

One of the most significant planks in the communication bridge is that we agreed to start reading books from each other’s libraries. I can’t think of a better way to get to the “Other side” and to understand someone else’s point of view.

So, which was more important, the deck or the bridge? I figure the deck might last 15-20 years, but hopefully, the bridge will last a lifetime!

Thanks for reading All About Seniors…..see you next week!

PS For pictures of the deck, go to www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsofCentralGA/

Bill Milby, CSA, is a Certified Senior Advisor and a Director of Visiting Angels® of Macon, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at https://www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsofCentralGA/