By Michelle Allen
There were no freshly painted walls. No matching furniture. No welcome basket folded with ribbon and promise. Just me, opening the door.
Over the years, I’ve offered my home as a refuge—humble, imperfect, deeply intentional. A warm meal. A soft bed. A place to remember who you are when the world has forgotten. Sometimes for a night. Sometimes for a season. Always with love.
They arrived carrying stories tucked into silence: grief, transition, escape. I didn’t have answers. But I listened. I brewed coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade—whatever comfort fit the weather. There was always chili simmering, or soup ladled into mismatched bowls. Clean towels waited on the chair with the worn cushion. And sometimes, yes, I cried quietly in the kitchen, wondering if presence could ever be enough.
But kindness doesn’t live in grand gestures. It lives in the ordinary ones. In saying, “You belong here,” without condition. In letting the unspoken rest in safety.
The dream of The Willow Lodge wasn’t born from blueprints—it was built in those rooms. Through loss that carved quiet spaces I hadn’t expected, and through the healing that unfolded as I welcomed others in. It was never just about building a structure. It was about continuing a promise.
Then something unexpected bloomed: reconnection.
Meeting my high school sweetheart again didn’t erase grief—but it gave it a gentler place to land. His heart met mine in a room I thought was sealed for good. Together, we dreamed not of perfection, but of purpose. Of a sanctuary rooted in love and legacy, crafted slowly and intentionally. The Willow Lodge became that shared vision: a place for others, and a sacred space for us, too.
Every board we place, every wall we frame, echoes the grace that’s already lived here. Until it’s built, my home will keep doing what it always has—offering rest, warmth, and restoration in the ways that matter most.
This is not just where grace begins. It’s where it continues.
This is not just where grace begins. It’s where it continues.
If these words have stirred something in you—if you’ve ever needed a soft landing or longed to offer one—The Willow Lodge is our shared invitation. Help us bring this vision to life, one beam, one story, one gesture at a time.
🌿 Every donation, share, or prayer fuels a sanctuary rooted in love. 🔗 https://gofund.me/13496be7 Support the build
With deep gratitude for walking this path with us, Michelle & Dan
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