Life is unpredictable. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to make things right, God has other plans.
Becky is a woman who tragically lost her son Tristan, who was just 19 years old at the time he left this world. Her grief was immense. She couldn’t possibly imagine her life without her child, but over time, her loved ones helped her accept the reality and move on.
Around two years after Tristan’s passing, Becky was about to marry the love of her life, a man named Kelly.
On the day of their wedding, the two decided to leave an empty seat in Tristan’s honor with a heartwarming message written on it. “What should I do now that I’ve arrived in heaven for your wedding? I will stoop to your level in order to spend it with you. Please save me a seat, even if there is only one available chair. Although you might not notice me, I shall be present.”
As the ceremony proceeded, Kelly informed Becky that there was someone there who wanted to see her. A young man who took Tristan’s chair. When she saw him, Becky wasn’t mad. On the contrary, spotting the young man, she was overwhelmed and couldn’t stop tears from rolling down her face.
That man, Jacob, was the recipient of Tristan’s heart. Tristan was an organ donor, and Jacob wasn’t the only person whose life he saved.
When Kelly informed Jacob that he and Becky are getting married and invited him to the ceremony, Jacob was more than willing to travel from San Diego in order to attend it. It was a beautiful surprise that warmed Becky’s heart and made her day. She felt like her son was present on her wedding day.
Becky was then given a stethoscope so that she could hear her late son’s heartbeat. It was an emotional moment no one could ever forget.
Someone snapped photos of the beautiful surprise and shared it on Facebook. The story went viral in a matter of days and many praised Kelly for his love for Becky.
Many people took their time to comment, with one person writing: “Why is it that we can’t just have one news channel that is dedicated to delivering uplifting and motivational stories like this one? If only the goodness and thoughtfulness that exists in the world were distributed more widely, it could inspire more of the same.”
Family of 6 living in a renovated vintage airstream
A lot of parents dream of hitting the road in an RV with their kids, but not many families would choose to live that way full time. Well, that’s not the case with today’s featured Tiny House story! Meet are the Longneckers, a family of SIX that have been living full time in an RV for the last 5 years! They started out by downsizing into a fifth wheel trailer, but after a few years on the road, they realized it was too big. Parking their giant trailer was difficult, and they weren’t able to go off-the-beaten track as much as they would have liked. So they downsized once again! This time into a renovated vintage airstream.
TAKE A TOUR OF THIS FAMILY’S INCREDIBLE RENOVATED VINTAGE AIRSTREAM :
COST TO PURCHASE & RENOVATE AN AIRSTREAM
- The Longneckers were able to find a vintage airstream for just $13,000. That’s a steal when you consider the new airstream of the same size could retail for up to $96,000!
- Renovation costs were somewhere around $35,000
- So the total cost is estimated to be $48,000
FOLLOW TINY SHINY HOME ON INSTAGRAM
FEATURES OF THIS RENOVATED VINTAGE AIRSTREAM:
- Large kitchen
- Solar Power – 400 amp hour batteries
- Bathroom with shower & nature’s head compost toilet
- Desk/Office area so that Jonathan can work on the road
BUT…. WHERE DO THEY ALL SLEEP?
With very limited space in their renovated vintage airstream (only 220 square feet) the Longneckers had to get creative with their interior design. The four children share a sleeping space, with two parallel bunk beds in the middle of the trailer. The parents sleep at the end of the trailer, and every night they have to make their bed by folding down the dining table and re-arranging the couch cushions into a mattress. This process might seem like a pain to some, but sometimes creature comforts have to be sacrificed if you want to live tiny.
WHY LIVE IN AN AIRSTREAM WITH YOUR FAMILY?
The Longneckers have had some amazing experiences over the last five years. They hike and camp in some of the United States’s most beautiful locations, and they home school on the road. As a family, they are closer than most. The kids have formed strong bonds with each other. Everyone is happy, living together on the road, and isn’t that what we all want for our family?
WOULD YOU LIVE IN A TINY HOUSE OR AIRSTREAM WITH YOUR KIDS?
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