The Invisible Door

They've never noticed how much they use me. Day in and day out, they swing me open, then shut. Open, then shut. The redundancy is deafening.

If they had any idea or inkling - certainly, they would think twice about what they bring in and what they take out. If they knew all the things that I have heard and seen over the years, they would all reconsider their lives and the beauty that they take for granted.

I suppose people rarely think about doors and the power of observation that we hold. One often hears the metaphor: the eyes are the window to the soul. And when you hear that, it seems to lead windows as a primary source for metaphorical material. For doors, the only phrase we get is: when one door shuts, another one opens. Again, it assumes we are dormant and do not absorb energy and secrets like water to a sponge.

The family that resides behind me is an interesting one, to say the very least. They have so much to be grateful for and yet they take it all for granted.

They aren't the very first family to reside behind me. I have been here since 1965. Exemplifying yet another thing that people take for granted about us doors: our age and experience. Over my years, I have seen families come and go. The original owners lasted for 35 years - just enough time to have me paid off. They passed, and their greedy children sold me.

This family was nice on the whole - but wracked with secrets and scandal that would make corrupt businessmen, politicians, and billionaires blush.

The husband and wife both unhappy and unfaithful. Their three children - a boy, a girl, and another boy - all entitled and self-righteous. I bore witness to all of their ill-born choices. Their secrets that would rip them apart. The husband cheating on his wife, right here in front of me. Right on the front porch. The unfaithful wife, unhappy that she knew her husband was cheating on her but felt she had no other choice because she couldn't bear to have to change her lifestyle. And so, she cheated behind me - indulging her unhappiness by seeking physical affection from the much younger dogwalker. Then the children's transgressions.

The eldest boy, who would constantly come home drunk. Often escorted by police. Once he was even suspected of DUI hit and run. His father, a local judge, paying off the officers each time - so that they could avoid the publicity.

The middle child, their only daughter - constantly seeking the attention and affection of her self-involved parents. Her secrets were typical of the attention-deprived child: drug addict, a carousel of partners who served her need of codependence. She would actively seek out those who would give her what she wanted when she wanted it. All funded by daddy.

Last up, the youngest of the three - another boy. Like his parents, he was financially successful, but bitter. His resentments grown from an early age. He spent his childhood being the butt of his older sibling's jokes. His parents would overlook him constantly. One day, right in front of me, he met with another man and discussed the possibility of killing his parents. Luckily for them, the deal never went through because the stranger wouldn't agree to it. He lamented his losses and cursed the powers that be for his lack of courage to carry out the heinous deed himself.

All failures in the game of life - unable to meet their own self-fulfillment. Only materialistically could they claim to be rich. It was no wonder why the children sold me as soon as they could. I don't blame them considering their transgressions. I wish I could erase the memories as well.

The family that bought me from them were immigrants. From Australia, actually. A husband, wife, and two kids. And they truly appreciated each other.

The couple was nice - completely devoted to one another. The husband would send his wife fresh flowers, twice a week, just because. He needed no reason to dote on her. She was a stay-at-home mother, completely devoted to him and the raising their beautiful girls. They could easily be the poster family for the ideal parenting ad.

The kids, both young girls, were too innocent to be as coarse as the previous children. They had a very healthy relationship and an incredibly close bond. They were the best of friends and supported one another, sharing secrets and whispering wishes on the front porch - completely unaware that I was right there listening. I felt the beauty of humanity. The value that gratitude can bring to each of our lives.

This family lasted a total of 5 years. It came to a very unfortunate end. One I witnessed behind me on a very dark evening. It's not something I'd care to remember. So, I will only say that it ended tragically, and all of them became a part of the home. I still sense them from time to time, but they are too fast for me to see. I definitely hear them all the time.

After the house was cleaned up, the crime scene I witnessed unfold behind me - as I stay shut, blinding the outside world to its gruesomeness - completely changed the interior. While the family's spirit was still very much present - but more muted. The homeowner's association readied the inside of the house for new tenants. The past disclosed only to those who asked.

The next, and current family has been with me since their purchase in 2005. The grandparents, the first buyers of this clan, passing it on, down their lineage as if it were in the family genes.

We've been together almost twenty-one years, now. The beginning of the family, generous and humble brought me to witness a new kind of hope in the midst of all the past tragedy that still lived within my walls.

I wasn't one-hundred percent sure, but I had a sense that the wife was clairvoyant. She could read and pick up my energy. Once a month and on certain special occasions, she would open me up and give thanks to the world around her for the abundance of gifts that her family has received. She would then turn to face me and place a single hand on my surface. She would thank me for my protection in keeping her and her loved ones safe each and every second of every day. She was truly grateful and I could feel, hear and see that.

Over time, the spirits of the family from before became calm and peaceful. The young girls would playfully move items around the house. Mischievously hiding the owner's keys, purse, phone, wallet and moving them to the most obvious places. The wife seemed to enjoy it, but the husband seemed terrified.

The spirits of the couple would make romantic things happen for the new owners. Leaving candles lit in the master bedroom or running a bubble bath with scented oils. The love they felt for each other, combined with the wife's inviting spirit, made them very powerful indeed.

The new owners tried to get pregnant, though they never could. I hated bearing witness to their pain. Yet, in spite of it all, the wife always got back up - refusing to give in to the threatening depression. After too many attempts and losses, they decided to try fostering. And foster they did!

The couple welcomed in four children. All from different backgrounds. Though the family was fortified, they were not without their fair share of familial rows. The children proved to be challenging and one of them constantly sought to undermine the matriarch. Even with all of the adversity, the family remained loyal to one another. It was as if they all silently promised to never give up.

And now each of those foster children have their own kids. They all visit annually and they all still tell their secrets in front of me. They still whisper their deepest desires - hoping that someone out there hears them. Believing that love wins all.

They may all be different families, from different backgrounds, but they all had one thing in common: they thought no one was listening, that no one was watching. but they were wrong. A door always listens, and a door always sees. I am grateful that they chose to bring all of these experiences to me.