STORE YOUR MEMORIES THIS SEASON

Sitting here in my B&B in Chattanooga, I can look out my window into a row of trees lining a city street. A utility line runs through them making a very busy “squirrel parkway”. Usually, the little fellows hang out, have a snack and sometimes lay in the tree on their bellies with their legs dangling beneath-so weird to see!  Now however, there is an urgency about them, food and nest materials are clutched in their teeth, back and forth they go, struggling to get everything ready for Winter, ready for a time of ‘less’.

Here at the Inn we meet so many people from many places and walks of life. Each person is unique and has a story to tell as their lives unfold before us for just a couple of days.

One of my favorite moments is to see the changes that can happen in just a weekend.  A couple wearily walks into the Mansion on Friday after a full day of work and 2 or 3 hours on the road. When they leave on Sunday, we see them rested, smiling, enjoying being with their very favorite person in the whole world-it just makes this business all worthwhile!

So what do my furry buddies and my Guests have in common?  You see, it’s the good times, the ‘happy places’ we go to together, the memories and experiences we share that are the things we “store up” for the times of ‘less’. Life sometimes gets very hard, very disappointing, very sad and very cold.  It is those times when we rely on what we have “stored up” together in our relationships–the good times, the happy thoughts, the gratitude and appreciation we have for one another.

So, from us to you…

May your Thanksgiving Day be full of blessings, love and laughter.

Sincerely,

Mark Ladd