Home..Where Ever We Are, There We Are
Where is home? As long as we are together, that’s where it is.
Any Soft Spot Will Do
Camping Out on a Chapel Floor
For us at the time being, it is a roof over our heads, a shelter, a place of comfort. Our collections of belongings and things. Fertile soil surrounds us to grow food, flowers and to enjoy nature..and solitude. The creature comforts are there..a huge cozy couch, multiple beds, clean sheets, a fireplace, thousands of books, heat and air conditioning at the flip of a switch. Closets and dressers full of clothing. And then there’s the excess things.. chotchkies, tools, garden equipment, kitchen clutter, junk drawer mystery items, extra furniture in the attic, saved letters from the past , our old stamp collections and extra linens. More things than we actually need ; vintage china, antiques passed down from the relatives..souvenirs of their lives, piles of papers, ubiquitous electronic wires and such, scattered toys, fabric, random items that overwhelm us, more piles of things we don’t know what to do with, the stuff of life in a home.
But what is the true meaning of home?
Is it our material possessions and accumulated masses of things? Or is it us, ourselves, being together, that makes up a home?
A Picnic Lunch Together
Take an Account of What Matters Most.
Is it our “stuff” or “ourselves” that truly matter? What is a thing compared to a human that we love ( and are related to)? So what of the stuff and objects that can not go with us into the next life..the life in eternity. It’s just burdensome and a bondage. Can we be free to be with each other, our family, and not be so attached to physical belongings? We are in this world, but do we really need to be “of it “?
As I go through our “things” and try to decide what to do with them, I think on this. My happiest thoughts and memories are of the moments of us being together. Our experiences, our talks, our nurturing and caring for each other. Not the material gifts we get ..it’s the cherished times. The laughs, the love, the memories. The roof over our heads does not amount to what home is. It’s us. No matter where we are.
Climbing and Growing Together
Grow Where You Are Planted.
Some of us tend to yearn to be somewhere else. We need to remind ourselves that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence, yet, there is so much more beyond our safety net that may need to be explored. If it’s our own fears and ego that keeps us stagnant, then we should try to break free of that. This is a big beautiful world. Why not venture out with your family, and see what that means? Home means many things to all of us. It depends on your society, your status, your current lot in life. Who says that it will remain as it is..home? As long as you are together, that is home. Even if it is in transit, in a mansion, in a bamboo hut, in a cozy abode, a house boat, a tent or in a temporary dwelling.
Where ever you are, there you are.
Grow Where You Are Planted
Where do you think you live, in a barn? !
Do you live in a castle on 500 acres, or in a mud adobe with dirt floors? A suburban house with a yard, or a bamboo hut? Does it really matter ( in the scheme of the important higher meaning of life)? In our town there are barns for horses that are newer and more beautiful than some people’s homes. I’ve even heard of a lady who lived in an outfitted chicken coop. And friends of ours lived in a barn with their large family while they were building a new home on their land. They were quite content, all of them living simply ( no running water) and making due until one day a big black snake was spotted near the Mothers bed..then they decided to upgrade a bit.
Do You Think You Live in a Barn?
A Governor’s Palace
If you have a mansion and a “museum worthy art collection”, and no love, than what do you really have? If you have a space that comforts you and a lifestyle that serves you, yet no one who cares for you beyond your belongings, what of that? These are things we need to ponder. My “stuff” is not me..the meaning of me. I am thankful and grateful for the home I now live in that houses our family and keeps our children safe. But if I cling to the notion that the” bricks and mortar” are our refuge, then I may be sorely disappointed. It could vanish in a moment. An old friend of ours recently lost their home to a fire, due to Hurricane Sandy. In an instant, the structure and belongings could vanish. I try not to cling to the things of this earth. But it is not easy to think this way, and I am not there yet. Loving and caring for people is what really counts.What matters to me is others. Especially my family.
- A Good Tree to be Together in
Home is Anywhere, As Long as it is Filled With Love
During this Holiday season I want to focus on our love for each other, our being together and paying attention. Not the frantic searching and shopping for the piles of gifts to be put under a dead tree in our living room. Instead, we are inviting others into our home, sharing a feast with them and family, and spending the time to talk with one another. To care.
We have a roof over our heads and walls to protect us. A place to invite others in and plenty of food and dishes to set a place for them. Our children are here and nearby. Some day soon I am hoping that we can venture out of the country as a family. Being together, no matter where. They will all be adults before we know it. I want to cherish the times with them, no matter where we call home.
Home is us together, where ever that may be.
Home on the Beach
Other Families Realities of Home
Follow these links below to read of some out of the ordinary places called home. These families are in transit, their homes are scattered across the globe, and can change like the wind. But they are together, and that is what matters.
Bohemian Travelers…Home is Every Where http://www.bohemiantravelers.com/2012/12/home-is-every-where.html
Living Outside of the Box – Where Is Home?
http://livingoutsideofthebox.com/2012/12/20/where-is-home-on-the-road/
Life Changing Year – I Never Thought We’d Be Home For Christmas! http://lifechangingyear.com/i-never-thought-wed-be-home-for-christmas/
A Minor Diversion – A Minor Diversion Comes Home http://www.minordiversion.com/2012/12/a-minor-diversion-comes-home/
Witness Humanity…. Things I will miss about New York (or a Guide to the Awesomeness that is NYC)
Simon Says: Where are you from? – http://simonsays2010.blogspot.com/2012/12/where-you-from.html
Gypseekers-Are We Home Yet?: Re-entering Society After a Round the World Adventure
http://gypseekers.com/are-we-home-yet/
Flashpacker Family – My Heart Doesn’t Lie at Home http://flashpackerfamily.com/my-heart-doesnt-lie-at-home/
The Expat Experiment…Traveling Home – http://expatexperiment.com/traveling-home/
Barefoot Nomad… Where’s Home for a Barefoot Nomad? http://www.thebarefootnomad.com/travel-philosophy/where-is-home-for-barefoot-nomad
The Nomadic Family….I Hate Home, and That One, and That One http://thenomadicfamily.com/2012/12/i-hate-this-home-and-that-one-and-this-one-coco-bungalows/
Discover Share Inspire… How to Always Be Home For the Holidays… No Matter Where in the World You Are
Grow In Grace Life 
“Home is anywhere, as long as it’s filled with love’
Very true.
Thanks!
“And the greatest of these is LOVE”..thanks for reading the post Rachel.
Lovely thoughts,and so true. I love the photo of your daughter in the barn – great shot!
Thanks Micki and Charles..and our youngest daughter just loves barnyard animals, I think she would not mind sleeping in the hay loft!
Wow – that description of stuff in the house reminds me of just what our house was like before we set off. Especially those junk drawer mystery items!! lol – how does some of that stuff even get into the house? Love the photos in this post – really lovely memories you are making!
Hi Tracey, I am getting bogged down by our stuff. It’s hard to make decisions too on lots of it. How long did it take your family to purge everything so you could be “set free” ?
From deciding out of the blue to go and leaving we had just over 6 months. I made a spreadsheet of everything we wanted to get rid of and estimated what I could get for it, then I set about selling. Good stuff on eBay first, friends, gum tree and 4 garage sales planned next, then we gave anything useful that was left to charity. We kept our furniture and electronics as they were fairly new but no clothes or shoes. I’d also suggest you start using things now – those candles that are so pretty, nice soaps, that special perfume etc. Use it up – it doesn’t store long term and you mostly can’t sell it! Such a waste to throw out!! I’m so happy that thoughts of unpacking do not include the dread of boxes filled with junk!!!! Oh and our house looked like a tornado had hit it for about the last 4 months! Don’t think you can keep order while you purge!! You can do it!!
Good job! We have been putting things on ebay, but it’s been slow going..and annoying when things don’t sell. We recently sold lots of things at a yard sale..but much was left over. Having 4 sales was a good idea. I am getting used to having “the tornado look” lately.
Thanks for your encouragement!