Where you hang your hat
I was on my deck lazing in the warm, summer sun when the thud of a car door drew me out of my near catatonic state. My eyes wandered to the source of the sound. It was my next door neighbor and he was just coming home from work. I watched as he gathered his things from the car. He shut the car door, glanced over at me and shouted a quick hello. He then journeyed up his driveway towards the comforts of his home. I knew that his wife and small son were eagerly waiting for him because I could hear his little boy shout that dad was home. As my neighbor neared the top of his driveway his steps became quicker as if he couldn't wait to get inside. That got me thinking about the concept of home. What an amazing thing it is, really. It's a refuge from the storm. A security blanket. A place where you can escape from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.
Home.....what a delicious word. For me it evokes many different images. When the weather is warm my mind's eye sees a house with a beautiful yard that's filled with flowers. The windows are open and the curtains rise and fall in the summer breeze. Inside, the rooms are filled with sunshine and laughter and people who love one another. The patio or deck is fully equipped with everything you need for an amazing barbeque or a night spent around a deck fireplace. A place where you can relax on a lounger and read a great book or just soak up the warmth of the sun. A place where friends gather on a warm summer night for a dinner el fresco by torch light and twinkle lights stretched across tree branches, shining like tiny fireflies.
When fall arrives I imagine a home with mums and bright orange jack o lanterns that light the walkway to the door. The inside is filled with warm lamp light and the aromas of baked apple pie. The skies are gray and the wind stirs the leaves up in tiny whirlwinds. Fire wood is stacked and ready to lend itself. whether it's for the outdoor fire pit or the inside fire place. Either way, it offers comfort, warmth and light. Home enables you to gather your nuts for the upcoming winter.
When the winter winds blow and mother nature covers the homestead with a blanket of pure white snow I picture a home with smoke swirling out of the chimney and into the night sky, spiraling up to mingle with the stars. The warm glow from the windows tells of a lit fireplace that casts oranges, yellows and reds onto anything that's near it. Stockinged or slippered feet pad across the floors. People snuggle up on chairs or couches and watch movies or read books or simply have conversation. The house smells of hot soups or stews and fresh baked breads and all is good on these silent nights. Home offers protection from the elements, comfort and joy.
Home evokes different images for everyone, but I think that the main theme is that home is your safety net. It's a place where you can go and be yourself. It's a place that offers comfort and security. It's a place where you can sit in your favorite chair and rub your feet together and curl your toes...home is a sense of relief.
It doesn't stop at your own home either. Even though you've moved on and created a life of your own,no matter how far away it is, when you visit family you go "home" as well. A home from your past that still remains the same and welcomes you back with open arms time and time again. Home is moms, dads, brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, neices, nephews, cousins and dear friends.
Home for the holidays. Home from college. Home for a special occasion. Ahhhh, home.
Home is always there for you. When you go on vacation it welcomes you home. When you come home from work, it invites you to sit and rest. Home welcomes your guests and is always on its best behavior. It does not disappoint....ever.
Home. It truly is where your heart is. And there's nothing better in the world than "coming home".
