The House smiled.

As the minivan slowed and steered off of the main beach road and onto the gravel driveway, the three kids inside got more excited. The sound of the loose gravel hitting the bottom of the vehicle woke them from sleep. Two day’s drive from Wisconsin was a long way for the kids but dad made it work. Regular pee breaks, movies on board, an overnight in a nice hotel, and snacks kept the crew occupied while dad listened to the oldies station up front and followed his GPS south.

It had warmed up in his hometown of Cedarburg, Wisconsin. But even on the best of days, there was nothing to compare to the long hot days, with a cooling wind that gently swayed the fronds of palm trees.

As Carl Lampley made the twists and turns along the beach road down to their rented beach house, he remembered having the same thrill as a kid that his children now had. Every summer his family rented this particular blue beach house. As the years passed, Carl and his family continued the trip down south, even bringing his parents back with them yearly until they became too frail and aged to endure the long ride. They were still alive back at home, but it had been decided that it was time for Carl and the kids to make this trip alone. They would be there when they all returned. In actuality, keeping up with three small kids, even just helping, had become a little much for Carl’s parents and they were looking forward to some rest.

Since his wife’s death from cancer last fall, Carl had struggled to keep life as normal as possible for the children. And him. And he was doing as well as a man can do with all things considered.

He had been looking forward to this trip, even just him and the kids, to recalibrate himself; to find a new life and joy without Linda.

The twin boys were 12 now and were named Axel and Diesel. Those names were 100 percent Linda’s idea and Carl went along with it but inside he kind of squinched when she said that those names would be ‘cool’. He resigned to it because he figured if she could carry these two fun and rambunctiously kicking boys inside of her for 9 months, then she should have the naming rights. He also knew that one day if they had a sweet little girl, he’d get those naming rights. Four years later, tiny Miss Adelaide Lampley made her appearance.

The minivan landed safely in the parking under the beach house, the doors opened and two days of pent-up youthful energy exploded outward. And before Carl could contain them, all three of his children had their shoes off and were running towards the surf with no sense of caution.

His intentions were to unload everything, get set up in the house and then all go down to the beach.

But sometimes plans and checklists need to be burned and life just happens.

Carl knew the importance of that now more than ever.

Standing in front of the minivan, in the shade, he could safely see his three children in their own absolute Heaven. They were playing, laughing, screaming, being kids, enjoying the freeing warmth of the sun, the feel of the warm sand, and the sight of the endless ocean touching the horizon. Even from that distance, Carl could hear their happiness.

And in that moment as his tears hit the warm concrete below and he let go of any restraint and necessary control that he’d had to have over the past year, he knew this was the right thing to do.

He needed to bring his kids to the beach, to bring his heart back to the beach, to spend time just he and his children, to find himself.

To let Linda go.

To let God.

To..

Heal.

Seeing the children again was exciting, but this time without Linda, it was a concern for The House. And inside its open garage that was beneath The House, the sounds of Carl’s sobbing and the feel of fresh tears splatting on his floor gave The House some feeling of how important the next week would be for this family that The House had seen grow up for two generations.

The House knew that they needed resolution and rest.

The House would make sure that all would go perfectly for the family this week. Many families did not impress The House. But the Lampley’s were it’s oldest renters, and all of them, even Diesel and Axel, were always the kindest of souls. They were much like their sweet mother.

The House would do anything to ensure that they were more than comfortable and provided for while they were there this week.

Many families would not have the same experience at The House.

Many families would never return to The House.

In fact,

Many would find it more pleasant to leave The House earlier than they had planned.