A Piece of History For Mother's Day

Mother's day has come and gone, and I received the wonderful, traditional flowers, candy and cards. But there was one item that showed my kids really know me, very well.  There is a story behind this gift and it was a group effort to actually acquire it. 

Here is the story of  how I became the proud owner of this vintage sign.  Isn't it cool?!  The picture doesn't really show how large it really is.  It is about 4 feet long and 2 feet wide.  And it's hefty!!

I moved to my town just over a year ago and every day as I drive my children to school, we pass the old abandoned high school.  On the side of the school gym were two signs that said "Gym Entrance" and pointed the way to the gym doors.  I love the pointing finger and the old font of the sign.  Every day, as I drove past, I wondered how I could talk someone into getting those signs down for me.  My kids suggested climbing the fence and taking them down myself, but I really didn't feel like getting arrested trying that option.  So, after a year the school board decided to tear down the old school because of the high cost of maintaining it.  I watched the old building slowly be torn apart.

 

 I know that it was old and would have cost quite a bit to turn it into a usable building, but I hate to see old buildings being torn down.  It feels like a part of history is being erased. 

One morning as I passed the school, the only remaining part of the school was the gym.  And my signs were still hanging on the wall.  I mentioned to my daughter that I wanted one of those signs and she laughed at me. But later that day during her lunch she sat across the street from the school and waited for a construction worker to talk to.  After, what she described as forever, a while she found someone to talk to and asked them if she could have that sign for her mom for mother's day.  They told her they would set it aside and ask the foreman if she could have it.  My daughter went back to school and was going to check back after classes got out. I had no idea she had done this as I passed the old school later that day.  I saw the sign laying against the building and I pulled over just as a worker was walking by.  I asked him if the sign was going in the garbage and if I could have it.  He gladly handed it over the fence to me!!  I was so excited!!  It barely fit in the back of the car, and my other daughter was laughing at me, but I got the sign!!

My oldest daughter was bummed that I got it before her, but I told her that by the time I was driving back by the school they had torn down the area by the sign and it would've been in the dumpster. We had worked together, unknowingly, to get this sign, and I was so touched she would do that for me.  I have no idea where it will end up in my home, but I feel like I am preserving a piece of history. I love items with history and a story.  I have many pieces in my home that have come from family, antiques stores, and garage sales.  Those pieces have a depth to them that new pieces don't.  It makes my house feel like a home, rather than a showroom.