by Jared McNabb
Chandler Pond means many different things to the members of its surrounding community. For students and commuters, it provides a break from the stress of school and the workplace; bird-watchers and wildlife lovers appreciate the abundant and surprising species that make it their home. Even the occasional fisherman (or woman) can be seen along the banks of the pond.
For my Grandmother Eleanor McNabb, the pond was a bit of a fountain of youth. A native of Brighton, in 1922 at the age of 12, Eleanor moved from Arlington Street to 130 Lake Street. For the next 88 years Eleanor resided there and hardly a day went by that she did not enjoy the view across the pond. For residents of the Chandler Pond neighborhood, Eleanor was a fixture as she routinely walked her bichon frise, Milo, around the pond. Always beneath a stylish hat, armed with a positive outlook and kind words for anyone she encountered on her walks, Eleanor was convinced that those daily strolls were crucial to a healthy and long life. As she entered her 90’s, the walks were not so frequent but she loved to look out across Chandler Pond’s silvery surface and talk about all the enjoyment it had brought her. She recalled the frigid mornings of impromptu ice hockey games and “a sea of black” as “hundreds of seminarians came over to go skating” dressed in their priestly gowns. These memories were always followed by a cautionary tale about a careless lad that had fallen into the pond when he ventured out onto thin ice.
My earliest memories of Chandler Pond were from my visits to Grandma’s house; always with tackle box and fishing rod in tow. The abundant sunfish and catfish of Chandler Pond provided hours of entertainment and were the beginning of my appreciation for such a special spot.
It has been almost ten years since my Grandmother passed away at the age of 100. Her enjoyment of this urban sanctuary brought her incredible years of pleasure and in many ways I believe Eleanor found her own personal secret of longevity on her walks around the shores of Chandler Pond. I look forward to creating more memories and enjoying as many sunsets as her.
I know what Chandler Pond meant to my Grandmother, what does it mean to you?