Coming home couldn't be better!

When do you feel completely happy and well cared for? Is it a time from your childhood? I know “far away daughter (#3) said once that some sesame street cookies made her feel so important and loved.

I have a friend we stop and visit when we can. She lives in California near the mountains of Yosemite. When I sleep in her guest room in those crisp fresh sheets and enjoy her ceiling fan I feel so well cared for and peaceful. I spent a week-end very ill there once and I was glad to be in such a sunny welcoming place. I had e-coli and as I went in and out of being aware it was that room and far away daughters visits to me that I remember.

Did you see the movie Edward Scissor hands? A wild and crazy movie but it had some interesting lessons. In the beginning Edward who only had big knives and scissors for hands is lovingly cared for by his creator. His grooming takes place with love and respect. Edward is loved and he looks it, he is tidy and clean. His creator dies and suddenly Edward is no longer cared for. That contrast for Edward is amazing.

There is a book I like called “Home Comforts” the art and science of keeping house, by Cheryl Mendelson. Not only is this book filled with the helpful things you need to remove spots, and fold fitted sheets but it has a lot of wonderful attitudes I believe in but can’t always fulfill. It’s nice to read the first chapter to remind myself. She says on pg 11, “Good housekeepers know intuitively what needs to be done in their homes because they know how their homes make people feel”. Now don’t jump out of your skin, this is a good statement if you think on it. Of course we may not be intuitive about housekeeping, but I do remember going to Donna and Anne’s house to play. And Mrs. Pain was always about the work of good housekeeping and it made me feel comfort even back when I was only 8 or 10 years old. I loved to peek around the corner to see what she would do next. There was a clip she worked at and the house felt safe for all her work. Do we know how we care for people makes them feel? Is this the intuitive part of housekeeping?

If you are alone, or with only one person in your home or with a bunch of family you have the opportunity to offer those that live there something special. You can give your home a feeling of safety and comfort. Today there are just too many worries and everyone needs a place they can leave the world all behind.

So….. What can you offer? Is it a nicely made bed with fluffed pillow that everyone comes home to, sinks into when they are tired? Is it the fragrance of a candle everyone feels cozy with? My sister came to visit when my youngest got married. I like to grow fragrant plants and lucky for her it was summer and the lilies of the valley and the sweet peas and the lavender were all around my house. She wrote me a note in leaving saying how much she enjoyed the sweet smells she found in the rooms she went in. I’m a horrible housekeeper most years but she remembered those flowers.

Why don’t you take on a little assignment this week? Watch and see if you can make some discoveries. What do the people who live in your home love to come home to? If you can just give them something, some kindly act that says “I love having you here”. In so doing you might know your great worth! You are more than just the wife, the mother, the sister, the friend; you are the imparter of comfort and love! Doing those simple little things with lasting impressions. They are worth your effort.