When moving into a new home, it’s a new start. You do not always think about the people that previously lived there. Often, all that the previous owners leave behind is some unwanted furniture or old magazines and a few other random objects.
But how many people can say that they have discovered a hidden message beneath the wallpaper in their new home?
When Donna Hurry decided it was time to change the wallpaper in her house, she discovered a piece of history in a message hidden beneath and left by one of the previous owners long ago.
Forget about a message in a bottle
When you remove old wallpaper, the usual things that you expect to find include spiders, cobwebs, and other types of creepy crawlies. If you’re lucky, you might get to peel through a few layers of wallpaper to discover the interior decorating style of previous owners and decades.
However, a hidden message was the last thing that Donna expected to find.
It started with,
“I wish this coming generation of family will also fully reach enjoyment here.”
After reading the message, Donna learned that a man by the name of Cyril Armstrong had written the message when he was only fifteen years old. Touched by the sentiment, Donna couldn’t get over the fact that someone loved the house as much as she does.
Surprisingly, Donna remembered the Armstrong family that used to live in the house and decided that it would be quite touching to invite Cyril to read the message that he wrote 50 years before she discovered it.
So that is exactly what Donna decided to do.
Taking a trip down memory lane
When Cyril laid his eyes upon the message, he had written a century before he could not recall having written it at first. He does, however, recall helping his mother to re-paper the house frequently.
Cyril explained that the moment he read the message out loud, he had memories flood back and described the moment as quite overwhelming.
He remembers hanging wallpaper with his mother, and when she went downstairs, he saw his chance to make his mark on the home forever.
While Cyril could have written a moving philosophical passage, he remarks that he is more the type of being ‘clean and concise.’
The message thanks new homeowners for choosing to purchase an old home instead of a new one and wishes them the same lovely experience in the home as fifteen-year-old Cyril and the rest of the Armstrong family experienced.
Preserving the past
Donna has no intention of removing the message or even covering it up – she plans to keep the writing there to remind any future owners that this house is a home.
Donna’s favorite part of the passage is the last three words:
“Home, sweet home.”
While incredibly simple, it rings true in so many ways. They are timeless words that bring so much meaning a home often shared with family, friends, and memories throughout the passage of time.
Who knew that a simple message written by a teenager fifty years ago could make such a mark on the lives of others who occupied the home in future years?
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
CBS Prince Edward Island via Facebook
