Driving through San Francisco on my way to the 2015 Catamaran writers conference in Pebble Beach, I had a sudden impulse to drive by the two-story house I grew up in. It was only a few blocks over and I had plenty of time. As I parked, I looked up to see new paint samples on the facade and there were other signs of home care.
In 2010, I visited the flat and was flabbergasted to learn that a wonderful lady had bought the building. She lived upstairs and in the lower flat, the apartment I grew up in, she ran a Tibetan Healing Center. Literally, my parent’s old bedroom, was set up with comfortable chairs for group therapy sessions! There was another private therapeutic office set up in my little bedroom, which once had yellow gingham and daisy wallpaper and light wooden shutters on the only window — the window I used to crawl out of. I was amazed that a venue of such intense sadness for me, had morphed into a healing resource for others.
Anyway, I cut the engine and looked up and thought, I’m going to leave my book at the house. So I wrote an inscription to 864-XXth Avenue and tucked my card in the book and drove off.
The universe is a wonderful place – full of unexpected blessings – including the note I just received from the current tenant of lower flat of 864. She even included an amazing photo of her gorgeous little boy. I’ve altered her note a bit to protect her privacy. What a generous and loving soul.
She wrote:
Dear Rayne,
Thank you for the thoughtful gift of your book. I came home late last night from a trip to Bali and found it on the doorstep. I was so tired from the long journey that I brought it inside and didn’t look at it until today. I honestly thought it was something that a religious group had dropped-off at my door as they sometimes do.
First off – congratulations on your book! What an accomplishment.
I haven’t had time to read a lot of it as I have a 10-month old little boy and spare time is not always easily found. I read enough today to understand that your childhood in this house wasn’t always a happy one and that made me quite sad. I’m sorry that you had to go through what you did here. And I’m sad that energy was once here in this space.
I hope that it provides some comfort and healing to know that my beautiful son is being raised here with a lot of love. The house has been completely remodeled so I suspect you wouldn’t recognize it. For instance, the hall closet that still gives you bad memories is now the laundry room. When I bought this house as a single woman when I was 34, it was my favorite room because I had never had my own place with a washer and dryer. I went out and bought the nicest washer and dryer that I could find and I painted the room a light, ballet slipper pink. It’s also a favorite room of (the baby) as he likes to crawl in there and watch the clothes spin in the washer and dryer. If he’s a bit fussy from teething or something else, I sometimes sit on the floor in front of the machines and he sits in my lap and watches them. The baby’s nursery is in the sun room and it’s quite cheerful. I was sad to add blackout shades as I loved all of the sunlight but I quickly learned that if day napping was going to be successful, I needed to forgo the light in that room. (The baby) is so happy here.
Before I bought the house it was owned by Gary and Jane Bell. Jane ran a healing center out of this unit for many years and they lived in the upstairs unit. The house and my unit had been blessed and cleansed many times and I have had a shaman do a cleansing here myself.
If you ever want to come by and visit the house, please let me know. I can even take a walk with the baby to give you some personal time here.
Thank you again for your thoughtful gift. I promise to continue to fill the house with light and love!
Thanks,
S
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