The Welcome Home

The Welcome Home by Jennifer Sibley Boyle

The memories of growing up each summer in the family homestead at Deep Cove are etched in my heart and mind. They are too numerous to describe in detail but the one thing they have in common are the people who helped create them.

Our parents always kept an open door lifestyle believing that a house like Deep Cove was one to be shared with family and friends. Aunts, Uncles and cousins from next door were a part of everyday living. The neighbors from our home town of Winchester were encouraged to pack up and head north. It was never with any illusions of offering five star accommodations but rather the promise of spending time smelling the clean Maine air and experiencing a lot of fun.

The local friends would drop in for coffee in the morning only to return in the evening for our porch entertainment. Watching the sunset, joining in on group sing-alongs and just being together was enjoyment in its purest form.

As young adults we would bring our friends up for weekends only to repeat the activities of earlier times. And as we began our families and returned with children in tow, the rituals continued.

The best part of all these visitors and the memories that were created are the guest books that were started by our grandmother. Then when Mom became the hostess she too would encourage an entry from each and every one who spent time at Deep Cove.

There are many of these books now that have yellowed with age. But each one has a personal account of the people who visited and what they took away with them from being at Deep Cove. Often times there would be a funny story, a poem or a sketch by those who were artistically skilled. One such sketch is the pen and ink done by Andrew Wyeth that has become a family favorite. Even for those that were a bit shy about writing, there was always the message that they would want to return and that being there had lifted their spirits in some way.

So when I think of Deep Cove and all it's meant to us as a family, I just need to open those many journals and read the thoughts of the people who have graced the rooms with their presence. They are the ones who have made Deep Cove what it is today with their tireless efforts in helping to keep an old house from wasting away. When you walk through the rooms you can hear the many voices of past generations of family and friends. Every where you look there is proof of the many hands that made their mark.

With our parents gone it's now up to us to keep the guest books current. They will continue to tell the stories and encourage people to share their thoughts of being a part of Deep Cove. A house like Deep Cove is only as good as the people who enjoy it and keep a little bit of it in their hearts. As our parents would say, "the door is always open".