Most homes built in the early to mid-1900s have a small shelf built into the wall in the kitchen or hallway. If you live in an old house, this may be the case. If you didn’t think much of this, you might have asked yourself why it was there. Yes, there was a reason for putting it there!
A phone niche is what that small shelf is called. People used landlines to talk to each other before cellphones. That seems like a very long time ago now. A lot of homes were built with just one space for the phone. A lot of them had a small shelf or drawer above or below the phone where you could put address or phone books. It seems so old-fashioned to even think about an address book these days!
Most people no longer have landlines and only use cellphones these days. But you can use this phone niche in different ways if your home has one! For decoration, you could buy an old phone and put it there. If you want, you could even use it. It’s big enough to hold books or other home decor items. You could also put a bunch of small plants in pots in the niche. There are many choices, and it’s up to you!
While I love how convenient new homes are, I also love how old homes have little details that make them unique. The house we live in is very old, so old that the idea of a phone niche was a long time away. Does your house have a place for the phone? If so, I’m very envious!
I Was the Only One Who Went to My Grandma’s Birthday Brunch — After Seeing Her Tears, I Taught My Family a Lesson
My dear Gran-Gran invited our family to celebrate her birthday, and that’s when it all began. I had no idea that my family would let her down in such a painful way. I was resolved to impart a lesson on them that they would never be able to forget.
Gran-Gran is a remarkable woman who raised my siblings and me essentially during our parents’ divorce. She is everything to me, thus I found it incomprehensible that the other members of my family could let her down.
Rather than having us arrange something exceptional for her 83rd birthday, Gran-Gran decided to host a brunch at her home. She got up early to bake her own bread and pastries in spite of her health problems. Even though her hands were shaking, she wrote and assembled the invitations herself.
I was inspired to attend by Gran-Gran’s special day by the time and work she put into it. Regretfully, work obligations caused me to arrive ten minutes late. I was astonished to find my grandmother clearing dishes off the table and putting coffee down the sink when I first went in.
I questioned Gran-Gran why there was nobody else at the celebration, feeling both confused and worried. She told me, fighting back tears, that nobody had bothered to come. Her attempts to conceal her disappointment and act as though everything was fine crushed my heart.
I was unable to overlook this. I vowed to myself that I would make up to Gran-Gran and leave my family with a lasting lesson. I excused myself and went outside to make some phone calls after spending some quality time with her.
Initially, I informed my mother over the phone that my grandmother had fallen and was currently in the hospital. I put her under pressure by telling her that if she had gone to the brunch, the accident might have been prevented. My mother consented to send funds to pay the fictitious hospital expenses.
Next, I called my brother and asked him why he hadn’t been there. I informed him that Gran-Gran was hospitalized and that his presence might have had an impact. He said he would pay some money toward the imaginary bills.
I called additional relatives in a similar way, making them feel bad and persuading them to contribute money for the purported hospital bills. I surprised Gran-Gran with a trip to a stunning location she had always wanted to see with the money we raised.
We made wonderful memories together and lavishly celebrated her birthday during our time together. Gran-Gran was beaming with happiness when we got home. My family never missed another event after that day. Every birthday, holiday, and Sunday meal they attended.
I had no remorse about what I did, even though they still gave me the cold shoulder over it. Gran-Gran’s joyful expression made it all worthwhile. How would you have responded if you had been in my position? Tell me what you think.
Though it has been romanticized for artistic purposes, this work draws inspiration from actual individuals and events. For reasons of privacy protection and story improvement, names, characters, and details have been changed. Any likeness to real people, alive or dead, or real events is entirely accidental and not the author’s intention.
The publisher and author disclaim all liability for any misinterpretation and make no claims on the veracity of the events or character portrayals. The thoughts represented in this story are those of the characters and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the author or publisher. The story is offered “as is.”
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