There are some places that become part of your family’s story without you even realizing it at the time. For us, Pecan Park is one of those places. It was the Park at the end of our Trailer Park.

Even before we moved into the Trailer I would take Charlie to Pecan Park when he was little because it was at the end of his grandmother Sherry’s street. Back then, one of the things I remember most was what the park didn’t have.

There weren’t any restrooms. If you had a child who suddenly needed to go, you had to figure it out. For our family we was lucky because Granny’s house was at the end of the Street. Then when we moved into the area our home was as well.

A lot has changed since Charlie was little. Today, Pecan Park actually has a men’s restroom and a women’s restroom. Now, before we get too excited, there is a little catch. More times than not, they’re locked.

So while I’m thankful that the restrooms are there, it would be even better if people could actually use them. Still, I have to give credit where credit is due. At least the restrooms are there now.

The water fountain has also been updated, and when we were there, it was working sometimes and sometimes it wasn’t. Of course, if the kids would stop playing in it long enough for somebody to actually get a drink, that would help!

But that’s part of going to a park with kids, isn’t it? They’re going to play. They’re going to explore. And apparently, sometimes they’re going to play in the water fountain. Or give the dogs a drink in it which I’ve seen happen.

What really surprises me, though, is what hasn’t changed. The playground equipment has never really been updated. And that seems crazy to me because Pecan Park has so much open space.

I know the park is used for baseball and other activities, and that’s wonderful. But when you look at all that room, you can’t help but think about all the possibilities. There could be more things for older children to do.

There could be additional play areas. There could be places for families to gather. And, honestly, there could even be room for something I’ve wished Haltom City had for a long time: a swimming pool or a splash pad if nothing else.

Can you imagine what that could mean for the children in this community? Especially when you consider where Pecan Park is located. There is government housing nearby. There is also a trailer park.

That means there are plenty of children who live in the area who could benefit from having more activities and places to go. And now there is something at the park that makes me especially happy.

A Little Free Library. If you’ve been around Greatful Moments for any amount of time, you already know how much I love the idea of putting books where children can easily find them. Adults to.

And seeing that little library sitting there made me smile. But it also made me a little sad. Because I couldn’t help thinking: I wish they had put one there years ago. Back when Charlie was little.

Back when the elementary school he attended was still standing across the Street from the Park. Back when we lived in the trailer. Back when we were homeschooling. Then that school was eventually bulldozed.

It’s strange how you can look at an empty space where a building once stood and remember an entire chapter of your life. Charlie went to that elementary school. My sister did to along with David and his brothers.

Then our lives changed. We ended up homeschooling him. And while we were homeschooling, having a Little Free Library right there by the park would have been a Godsend.

We could have walked over to the Park for PE and I could have walked for my diet. We could have found books. We could have exchanged books. We could have made reading another little adventure. As we sat under the Trees with a book and lunch.

And perhaps most importantly, Charlie could have seen that books were not just something that belonged inside a classroom. They belonged everywhere. That’s why I love seeing that little red library there now.

It’s something small. But sometimes small things matter. A book can matter. A playground can matter. A working water fountain can matter. A restroom that is actually unlocked can definitely matter! And having a safe place where children can play, read, run, and simply be kids matters.

So when I look at Pecan Park today, I see both the changes and the things that still need changing. I see the restrooms that weren’t there when Charlie was little. I see the updated water fountain.

I see the little red library. But I also see the same wide-open space and wonder why we couldn’t do more with it. Pecan Park has potential. A lot of potential. And maybe that’s what I hope for when I visit places like this.

Not perfection. Just progress. Maybe one day the restrooms will be unlocked when families need them. Maybe the playground equipment will finally be updated. Maybe that open space will become something even bigger for the children who live nearby.

Maybe Haltom City will eventually have that swimming pool. And maybe that little red library will become a place where children discover books, stories, and adventures that they might not otherwise find.

Because the little boy I remember running around Pecan Park is grown now. But there are still little boys and girls running around that park today. And they deserve places that grow and change with them.

So here’s to Pecan Park. A place with a lot of memories. A little bit of history. A few things that have changed. A few things that desperately need to change. And one little free library that gives me hope.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates