For those of you who have followed my blog for any amount of time, you know that a year and a half ago I lost my (28 year old) baby brother.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, mom and dad were on vacation and I was house and dog sitting. Well, I thought they had an under slab leak, as all of the sudden there was a puddle in the living room! I totally freaked out, and spent hours trying to figure out where the water was coming from. I finally traced it back to an ice maker that is supposed to be turned off.
However, I got the water cleaned up, the ice maker turned off and we thought all was fine.
Until the wood floors in the kitchen / breakfast room started warping. Apparently the water had been leaking under the kitchen / breakfast nook floor for several weeks before it even made it to the living room.
Needless to say, this Saturday morning we ended up spending time pulling up the wood panels in the worst areas. We got a big section pulled up and hauled out to the truck and as Mr. T was rolling up the thermal barrier, he goes “Look, there is Lee”
And we all stopped – and not going to lie – I was looking for a ghost!
Not a ghost:
Lee Was Here
Lee would have been about 17 when he wrote this on the concrete under the new floor. It was a wonderful surprise to find in the middle of less than pleasant circumstances.
He is still with us.
Did That Just Happen Blog 
Wow,that is awesome. Gives me goosebumps. I love that and without the leak you never would have found it. I love how things happen like that.xo
It really was amazing how all of those events lined up just so we could find the message! The more I think about it, the more blessed I feel!
Missing you! Hope all is going well!
That leak doesn’t sound like an accident to me. I think it was a present sent by God, just when you needed it.
I completely agree Cranston – the more I think about it, the more I believe He had everything to do with it, because it really was a full domino set up and things occurred just as they were supposed to!
There just aren’t words for how amazing it was!
Hope all is well over there and that you guys are getting a little sleep! 🙂
Wow! That is one of those take your breath away moments. ♥️
Yes it really was! We just stood around in awe!
aww, how cool is this!
It warmed our hearts! 🙂
Wow! Gave me chills.
Gave us chills, too! It really was an awesome moment – none of us knew it was there! And if there hadn’t been a leak and we hadn’t pulled up the floor, we would have never known! Mom and dad would have paid someone to pull up and put down the new floor and they wouldn’t have known how important it was!
I’m just in awe of how it all lined up for us to find that message!
I love this. What a wonderful surprise.
It was a great surprise! We all loved it!
Awwww, what wonderful surprise
It was pretty darn awesome V! None of us knew it was there and then all of the sudden, we were all huddled around it!
What a lovely story of love, family and their importance everyone’s life!
Thanks! It was a moment that we won’t ever forget!
This gave me chills. I love the idea of the clear tile so that spot can be seen. You must honor it somehow!
I think we should! i mean, none of us knew it was even there!
That is something. He’s always with you, especially when you need him. I believe very fervently that our loved ones never really leave us, and this is part of the reason why:
My husbands Grammy (with whom I was very close) used to say to my husband and his sister:
“never bother bending down to pick up a penny, but a dime! That’s worth picking up”.
She died in 2005, very suddenly at my inlaws house. After the drama, and the family, after everything started to die down, maybe a week later, they went to go clean her things out of the room where she stayed and found a collection of dimes on the windowsill. My mother in law (and if you knew my mil, you’d believe her, she’s neurotic about where anything is in her house at any time. Her house is a museum) said that those weren’t there when the paramedics arrived.
Weird.
Anyhow, we all started finding dimes in weird places. Aunt J found one when she opened up a hole in the wall of her house (Inside the wall). Crazy places. And only dimes, never other change- I had a miscarraige around a year later. I went in for the ultrasound that confirmed that the baby was dead, and when I came out to the car there was a dime on the drivers seat, gleaming in the summer sun.
There are so many weird stories in the family, and so many collections of dimes in the family… Even my children find them, and they don’t have any idea what they mean. Always just at the right time, and always someplace that you know there was no dime before, J and K bring us a dime and say Look what I found, because a dime is worth picking up. I’m glad you got a little piece of your brother. It’s a miraculous thing.
I love the dimes! My great grandmother would only pick up pennies that were heads up. And she was one of those that would turn it over for the next person to pick up – and when I’m out and about, it never fails, if I’m thinking of her, a penny, heads up, shows up for me.
But, for the dimes to show up in the weird places – like the seat of your car! Now that is her leaving you a message. And you are right, these dimes, and moments, are all miraculous! Thank you so much for sharing!
🙂
What a great surprise!! I like your mums idea it would be lovely to be able to see it always xxx
I like the idea too!
Dad was worried about resale, but honestly, they are going to live there until they pass on – and I can either chip up the clear and put a new tile down OR, I can just paint over the clear to match – and boom! The new owners won’t even know!
Exactly, there are ways around that. Xx
That’s a really heartwarming story 🙂 Well, apart from your parents flooded floor!
I felt so bad that it happened on my watch, but without that happening, I bet we wouldn’t have been the ones pulling up the floor, mom and dad would have paid someone to, and that someone wouldn’t have a clue how important that was to us – so, as awful as it was, it lead to a wonderful and yes, heartwarming, event!
Awww…. what a great surprise! He’s with all of you all the time 🙂
He is! It really was amazing to see it, and we all stopped and stared and I reached down and touched it… There just aren’t words!
That’s kind of cool. A little freaky too but I would think a nice reminder of him. His presence continues to impact.
It was a nice reminder, and it was freaky because none of knew it was there! It was a complete surprise!
I’m so glad that I’ve met you, Kate,
and through you, Lee. This post blew me away. Did that just happen? Yes it did.
Yes it did!!
It was a complete surprise and he literally left a mark in our lives! 🙂 He was an amazing kid, you more than anyone know how hard heart issues are, and he dealt with so much in such a short time, it’s so neat to be able to have these little surprises!
awesome
Thanks Jeff!
Loved this when I read it on FB, Kate. Such a beautiful surprise for you and your family. I’m sure Lee was smiling when y’all found it!
I’m sure he was smiling, knowing we were hot and sweaty and frustrated and that we were just moments from a true blessing he had left behind!
That brought a smile. What an extraordinary surprise to fill your heart 🙂
Val x
It really was an extraordinary surprise! That message to our family really stopped us and for a moment we were all in the moment. It was amazing!
I absolutely love this! Not only is he still, he always will be with you! Thank you for sharing another personal and touching part of your life with us!
Thank ortsofsorts! It really was so amazing!
Oh, wow. ((hugs))
Thanks! Mom is voting that when they pick out the tile for the floor, that they get a clear tile to put over that spot 🙂 Then we can always see it.