In 1948, my grandpa Richard Stark was just a young man at the age of 18 when he discovered a little brown 2 room cabin on Lake Ossawinnamakee. He convinced his dad Ralph and mother Katherine to purchase it and from then on it became a go-to place within the Stark family. Since then, there have been countless memories, lessons and adventures that have occurred from this humble cottage. I’d give anything to go back in time and tell my great-grandparents, this was probably the best investment they ever made.
True, it’s just a cabin. And quite honestly I’ve never really put a lot of worth into material possessions. But there’s so much more to this place besides plywood, windows and a roof. Ironically, our meek little cabin is nestled on a pristine lake among lavish and towering vacation homes- you can hardly consider them cabins. I wouldn’t be able to guess at the enormous amounts of money poured into them. But I’d wager a bet that our tiny place can stand up to any of them when it comes to the consistent number of years it has provided one family with rest, enjoyment and teachable moments- something money cannot buy.
I made a startling realization just last night while laying in bed here at the cabin. It’s my favorite place to fall asleep- with my head near the window listening to the lake lap up against the shore while the loons call to each other. Before drifting off, I was looking at the walls and recalling some of my earliest memories in this same little bedroom when I realized something special…
This place- this humble cabin has been the one and only consistent “thing” in my entire life- from birth to present. Because over the years, my parents have changed houses several times, I’ve married and moved with my own family, my grandparents have since passed away and their home is no longer a place for me to return to. But their cabin is. How meaningful to know that I once learned to talk, walk, fish and swim in this very place. My mom, aunt and uncles have too. And now we bring our own children and their children here to pass on the very same experiences and lessons. Like learning to water ski, or mustering up the courage to jump off the island Tarzan swing. Being brave and patient enough to bait your own hook and take off the fish when caught. Or meandering up and down Kimball creek. My three children have all learned to swim and conquer fears in Lake Ossawinamakee and I will be so bold as to say that the rest of the Stark family and all of their children have too. Did Ralph and Katherine know, when they first decided to purchase a little brown cabin some 70 years ago that so many of their descendants would be able to learn, take pleasure in and feel a sense of belonging here? And that this place would be a strong tie that binds their family together, decades after they've been gone? Thanks to them, hundreds have seen a huge return on their original investment. This cabin is a treasure indeed.