Goodbye!

 It was such a blessing that my husband saw the news article in time for us to be able to say goodbye. "Hey look Alicia, The Wash Hut is being sold and turned into a restaurant. Tomorrow, is the final day it will be open."
I was so shocked. "That place has been there forever. It can't go!"

Thankfully, we didn't have any plans that Friday evening they were closing the doors. I was very glad to have the chance to be able to take my kids there to say farewell to the place I spent several hours a week over almost 9 years.

Even after buying our new house last year, equipped with our own washer and dryer, I've gone back to the Wash Hut on a couple occasions to knock out some larger loads. Vic, the owner was there each time and visited with me, as he had in the past, to catch up with how my life was going.

The kids and I each wrote a card to Vic who had been such a great friend to us.

I remember last year, I had stepped outside the Wash Hut onto a little strip of grass that had a shade tree planted in the center of it. I had so much on my mind with our forced move - I just wanted to enjoy some fresh air  in-between my wash-loads, to sit in the cool of the shade and silently pray. My family was going through a very difficult time, it seemed like everything was falling apart for us. I sat out there slumped under the tree with my knees tucked to my chest and my head bowed, trying to look like I was just resting.

Vic found me there, he could tell I had been crying. He knelt down next to me, talked with me, and comforted me. He extend so much compassion and generosity that my heart was overwhelmed with gratitude. I went home feeling as if I had a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders because I knew that God was looking out for me through angels like him.

-Alicia