Dear 1036 Clarence

In tribute to where I grew up, and pursuant to a suggestion someone offered me, here is a letter I wrote to the home:

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence Avenue,

 

You are a house that for over 30 years has truly been a home in the fullest sense of the word. In you I have grown from a baby boy into maturity.  I was so young when I first came to you that I have no memories of that day.  You were there at my dawning of life.  You’ve always been part of my existence in a close, intimate way.

 

In you I experienced great love from the immediate family with whom I lived in countless ways.  I think of the warmth that washed over me when Mom, Dad, and Eric surprised me with gifts right away in the morning on my birthday when I was little, probably about 4.  And there were so many other birthdays, too.  There were also holidays, when other family came to visit and we shared the joy that marks Thanksgiving Day and the Birth and Resurrection of Christ.  Indeed, we shared that joy with so many others who came, including great friends I brought here, among them, Zach, Richard, Matthew, Roy, Rogenique, and the Ruggabers.

 

In you I celebrated so many important events in my life.  There was great joy celebrating graduations, especially after I concluded my time at Julian in June 2005, and then 11 years later, celebrating the achievement of my MLIS degree on May 8, 2016.

 

In you, I experienced so many historical moments.  In the comfort you offered, I processed the immense tragedy of September 11, 2001, even as I took comfort in the final words of President Bush’s speech that night.  I watched live coverage of Pope Francis’s election, and then his trip to the USA in 2015, followed by his trip to Mexico a few months later. I witnessed the progression of technology, from our first computer to dial-up Internet service, and then high-speed Internet. I watched a tape of the 2002 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony on VHS, and more recently, watched curling at the 2022 Beijing Olympics on the second to last night through the Peacock streaming service.

 

And I also enjoyed those little pleasures like the smells of baked goods: cinnamon rolls from a can, and freshly-baked sweet breads.  It was a great delight each spring when the flowers bloomed, the lilacs and most especially the peonies in the yard.  Autumn brings a vibrant shade of red to the tree in front.  On so many mornings, looking out my bedroom window the east, I admired a splendid sunrise, just as I delighted in the light of a full moon shining down on me.

 

Truly that Saturday, November 28, 1992, was a defining day in my life when I first came to live in you.  That day shall always be reason for me to celebrate.  You have given me so much reason for joy, and my rejoicing shall truly last for a lifetime. For you have truly been a home where I have truly lived life.  You are a part of the core of my being.  My love for you shall last for a long time to come, even as expressed in this letter.  You will never fade into the background.

 

And you shall ever remain in my heart: “You’ll be in my heart…”

 

We are Amigos para Siempre, friends for life.

 

I thank God for the gift you have been and are.  Just as Mom said, she and Dad knew you were the place we would move 30 years ago.  You have been part of shaping my identity, and I shall remain connected with you and the events that happened in you:

 

All my relations.

 

With joyful gratitude deep in my heart,

May God bless you,

Paul

New Year's Eve 2022 at 1036 Clarence

I shall continue celebrating and elaborating on what happened at 1036 Clarence over the course of 30 years, with letters regularly posted on this blog.