Be the light

Some days, it feels like the big wins are just out of reach.

The funding that once seemed promising now hangs in question. The message inboxes are quieter. The timelines blur. The restoration, like so much in life, asks more patience than expected.

But even in uncertainty, we keep working.

Lately, I’ve found myself drawn to the flower beds. They’re not part of any grant proposal. No one’s taking photos (except me!). But they matter. I’ve been pulling weeds, loosening old soil, and planting color where there used to be only dust and overgrowth. A few blooms. A little beauty. Something anyone walking or driving by can see and feel.

It’s a simple act—but it’s deliberate. And in some ways, it’s the heart of this entire project.

To restore something old takes more than tools — It takes care.

And care begins in the small things—digging in the dirt, clearing out all the old furniture, cleaning up dusty hallways, showing up even when the paperwork feels endless and the path uncertain.

We're still working behind the scenes to establish our nonprofit status. It's not glamorous work, but it’s necessary. And we’ve started the process of building a board—a team of individuals who believe in what this place can become: a space for community, history, and hands-on learning. A home for heritage and hope.

Even though we haven’t yet secured historic preservation funding, and even though some of that support is now uncertain, we continue. This work isn’t driven by budget approvals—it’s driven by belief.

There will always be setbacks. Delays. Doubts.

But this manor has stood here since 1908. And I believe it still has something to give.

So we move forward. One flower bed. One conversation. One cleaned room at a time.

If you’ve passed by lately, maybe you’ve seen the first glimpses—sunlight on the petals, vines cut back, stones unearthed, fountain heads discovered. Maybe it caught you off guard, or maybe you didn’t notice at all. That’s okay. This isn’t about drawing attention. It’s about presence. And presence is its own kind of progress.

We don’t know how long it will take.

But we’ll keep showing up, no matter how long it does.

That’s what it means to be the light.