View from the Cab: Farewell, old friend

By Kent Casson

We said farewell to an old friend the other day.

This friend has been with us through everything the past 15 years, as we built a family and home together. I am talking about the two-story white farmhouse which was there for every new child born, birthday celebration, meal and family experience.

While we didn’t quite anticipate spending 15 years in the house since we moved there in 2010, it became much more than a home. It was a part of the family.

I recall bringing our first born, Kasen, into the house as we returned from the hospital and it really felt like home. Family members came over to visit, brought food and we enjoyed each other’s company in that small living room with the blue couch. We repeated this excitement two other times when our daughters, Kenadee and Kaislee, were born in the following years.

Rebecca would go all out to decorate for our kids’ birthday parties by turning our garage into a birthday theme each year and family members would come over to help us celebrate. There was so much joy filling those old church tables and folding chairs lined-up in the garage.

Our Sunday popcorn nights were always special where the kids would pick out something to watch while we munched on the popular snack from the comfort of a sofa and old recliner.

Sick days home from school with the kids meant we would play toys on the living room floor or up in their room if they felt like it. I’m not sure exactly how many Legos were put together in that house or how many toy tractors were parked on the floor.

We have been blessed to watch our kids grow up right before our very eyes within those four walls. It makes me kind of sad to write this as I think about how fast they are growing up.

I launched my independent radio and media career in this home, turning an old farmhouse basement into a studio space which led to the growth of a small business that was only a thought in the years prior but was always a dream of mine. I always looked forward to “going to work” each morning down our basement steps to come on the air with a morning show at 5 a.m.

Plenty of brainstorming happened in the office as I wrote articles such as this or covered breaking news, feature stories or local sporting events.

Though we have now moved into our new home, memories of our old friend will always stay with us and for that I am grateful.