The home that served so many

He came home excited after buying bread and lunchmeat for his family.  “That house I like is for sale,” he said.  He dialed the realtor’s number and made an appointment to see the beige, two-story home on Raff Road.

Bill and Judy Turowski, along with their five children, toured the spacious home.  There were 43 windows, a dining room to host family gatherings, and a mother-in-law suite where Judy’s mother, Camilla, could move into one day.  It was close to the kids school and a better arrangement for their large family.

The Turowski children spent some of their childhood and all of their teenage years growing up in this home, sharing details of their day around the dinner table. 

When the Gulf War broke out in 1990, their oldest son, David, was a soldier in the army.  He was sent to Iraq and they couldn’t take their eyes off the TV. 

They waited at the airport, with extended family, for David to arrive home from Iraq.  It was his homecoming and they wanted to celebrate him.

Sighs of relief, conversation around the dinner table, and a home big enough to fit their guests; their home was more than just a building.  It was a place to gather; it was a safe refuge for many.

There were 16 people living in their home during that time. Children, grandchildren, extended family and foster boys.  Their home welcomed so many people.

It’s been seven years since Bill’s funeral.  Going through old photographs and cleaning up his workshop, Judy is preparing to sell her home.  “This home has served so many people and that’s why I’ve had such a hard time thinking about leaving it,” Judy Turowski said.  “I really had to tell myself, it was a miracle for that time.”

She pauses with a smile of reassurance.  It’s time for someone else to have a miracle.