This may look like a peculiar and worn stairway to you, but to me, it takes me toward a path I traveled the first 20 years of my life.

To me, this wooden rail and stairs is not old. Its new. The last time I walked onto that rocky Lake Lanier beach, this structure wasn’t built.

The rocks weren’t there. We never had the money to invest in securing the erosion of this bank.

You may think this yard needs weeding, but this isn’t part of anyone’s yard. It’s Corps property. Part of Lake Lanier shore exposed when the water levels went down and are slowly returning.

The new owners of this property have made some nice additions. This walkway and the rock was needed. It was something my grandparents weren’t able to do. My grandmother moved from this location when I married, at 22. I’ve missed this property ever since.

Look closely at this picture.

Nestled behind the trees is the house I grew up in. Behind the thickness of the vines and ivy is a lovely lake cottage, built in the fifties. The new owners have built a deck around the front of it and maintained it. This quaint gray house belongs to someone else. But to me, it will always be home in my heart.