Our homes should be refuge and shelter from the storms of life, a place where one can retreat and restore the Soul. We should surround ourselves with those things that bring comfort, Peace, contentment and Joy... a safe harbor for ourselves and our Families to anchor to. Where else but Home can we go to and have those feelings of truly belonging and uniquely expressing ourselves, our true selves, no facades or pretenses required? At Home we can heal from whatever comes against us in life and feel sheltered and protected. I want our Home to be the place we all feel most at east, most able to feel unconditional Love, the place you want to come "Home" to. It can be difficult in this fast-paced and often stressful and demanding world to stay centered and not allow it to impact you, to contaminate you, so the Home should be a restorative place to retreat to, to live in Peacefully, to extend hospitality from to others. Keeping negative outside influences out of our Homes can be challenging at times, but it is necessary to check it at the door and make every attempt that once inside the threshhold everyone feels nurtured, safe, and able to lay their heads and be themselves with a Peace that isn't often possible outside the fortress of Home.
I have insulated and surrounded myself with those things loved or of sentimental or heirloom value for a reason, most things tell a story and the one these cherished items impart about our story is a deeply personal one and that brings comfort, happy memories, a beautiful vibe that I enjoy being around daily. Something can be beautiful and yet not at all personal, other things can be beautiful in the eye of the beholder simply because of the story, the memories, the sentiments and history attached to it. Those tend to be the things that abide, that we hang onto, pass along to future generations as a legacy to our past, ancestry, special times spent together.
Think upon those particular things that you hold in high regard, that have rare value to you even if they aren't particularly valuable in the monetary sense. Or of those things that you wouldn't part with at any price, or would be reluctant to. Those things that if lost, stolen or destroyed would bring grief and would be irreplaceable. It is telling about us what we truly value in our lives. It is sometimes easier to understand why and how we value relationships with people than it is to understand why and how we value certain things? The love for a person is usually quite obvious, the love for a thing, however, can be somewhat of a mystery. Why exactly are we drawn to certain things? How or why do we get attached to inanimate objects? People naturally come first, or at least they should, but its quite obvious that most people also do get attached to certain things in their lives also and develop a relationship of sorts with their stuff. *Smiles* Not much can beat a good hug from a loved one, however, being around the things we love can also bring a fuzzy warm feeling that isn't as easy to fathom. I can look at a piece of beautiful Art and feel emotion. I can get a thrill from finding that special found object and knowing it could be mine. I can sit in a room with a particular ambiance, a certain atmosphere and feel a range of emotions just as pleasing as when I'm with someone special. Certain colors, sounds and scents can lift my mood just as easily as being in the presence of a good Friend who goes out of their way to uplift me.
There is an energy even in the things that are not alive, that we can connect to. I try to keep connected to those people and those things that have a positive energy about them and its to my benefit that I have. Not to say we can always disconnect from those negative energy sources in our lives entirely, but we can limit our exposure to them and chose to energize ourselves via the positives and choices we make. We can energize our Homes with all that we know will most benefit ourselves and our loved ones. How we decorate and what we bring in or move out of our Home is our choice and I try to make wise ones... good choices on a consistent basis, assessing and reassessing over time what must remain and what must go. I'm no expert in any of this stuff but I know what and how I feel and go with that instinct, it has served me well and probably why I've always liked my Home and been content there.
I hope that when you need a refuge from the storms of life, your Home is your refuge and shelter, your safe harbor, the place you can retreat to and restore your Soul. The place you are able to extend hospitality from often to others and that loved ones want to come Home to in much the same way. May your Home be your personal Valhalla... Peace... Dawn... The Bohemian