On a recent weekend, Easter weekend to be exact, I was totally blessed with spending time with my precious 97 year old mom.  After a relaxing Saturday evening visit while watching the sunset from the big wrap around porch at her current residence, The Meadows Nursing Home, I returned Easter Sunday morning, looking forward to more time spent with her.  Little did I know just what a special time this would turn out to be.

We looked forward to enjoying lunch with my brother and sister-in-law, Glen and Jackie, but didn’t have definite plans for the morning.  After a little thought, we decided to just take a ride and ‘see what we could see’ on this beautiful Easter morning.  As we headed out, we chose to do a little exploring down the streets of Orange, Texas.

As we drove down one of the main streets, traveled many times before, we decided to venture out in a different direction, rather than taking our usual path and what a treasure we, or I should say, I, discovered, as my mom had certainly seen some of these treasures before.  We passed a beautiful Presbyterian Church, a sea of gorgeous purple irises planted around the college campus there, a neighborhood with one beautiful old home after another in the historical district, but the building that totally caught my attention was an old train depot. 

Being the picture taker that I am, I snapped pictures of the church and flowers rather quickly, but as we came back by this old train depot, I told her I just had to get out and take a closer look.  As we stopped and gazed at the old building, it seemed to immediately have me under its spell. Then my mom began to tell me a story about this old deserted building, that honestly, for some reason, I had never heard. 

Looking on, with a very thoughtful gaze, she told me that my dad had left to serve his country in WWII many years ago, in 1941 from this very train depot!  It seems that they had waited just as long as possible before leaving to get him to the depot and in doing so he almost missed his train!  As she told the story, I could just picture it all and told her it sounded like a scene from an old movie. 

My grandparents, my mom’s parents, had offered to drive him to the depot and as they pulled up the train began to pull away!  My dad had to run and throw his bags on and hop on as it was leaving the depot!  I could just picture him looking back and waving good bye to his sweetheart. This visual just completely captured my heart that very moment.

As my mom sat in the car, she watched as I made my way all around the old train depot, snapping picture after picture.  Even though it is vacant and has been standing there for so many years, in need of some attention, it is still quite interesting and honestly enchanting.  I stood for a short while looking down the railroad tracks behind the depot; imagining my dad and so many others waving good bye to their loved ones, not sure that they would return to those loved ones when the war ended.  Walking around the building, I imagined my dad running where I was now walking.  I could almost hear the train whistle and the chatter of the crowd. I must say that it was quite a moving experience for me.

When I returned to the car, my mom and I, while sitting in the shadows of this old train depot, continued to reminisce about that day, so long ago.  As we talked, and she told of waiting five long years for his return, it certainly made the sacrifices made back then and now by those who so bravely serve our country as well as their loved ones, a very stark reality. 

As we pulled away, it honestly was hard for me to leave.  I felt that a part of my dad and such an important part of their story was right there at that enchanting old train depot.  I am so very glad that we chose to venture out in a different direction that day.  I will always cherish that Easter Sunday morning.  Absolutely priceless memory making time spent with my mom…time I wouldn’t trade for anything.

April 2015