Have you been dreaming of owning a beautiful house, one that is much nicer than your current one? Maybe you’re in a dingy trailer right now and just want to give your children a better home. Home is where the heart is: how a simple life can bring happiness.
Recently my daughter Charity caused me to think about what “home” really means;
“Mom, Dan and I thought we’d really enjoy having your big house to ourselves when you went on vacation, but it just felt lonely, quiet and empty.”
It’s interesting how the saying; home is where the heart is, gives us a warm, fuzzy feeling. Afterall, it’s just wood, rugs, drywall, paint, appliances, furniture and clothes. Eventually, all these things get replaced over time. Yet we can think of them as our home.
My friend and I were enjoying coffee one day when she mentioned someone she knew;
“They had an absolutely perfect home on the outside, but on the inside, it was a mess!”
I can relate to this lady:
If you pull up to my house on a summer’s day, you will see a manicured yard and beautiful house. If you come inside…it’s a different story. We are pretty relaxed with our home, it’s unorganized, comfy and warm (I mean warm as in inviting, not warm as in your body feels warm.)
But all our possessions are still here when we’re gone. So, why did my daughter feel like something was missing?
I believe it’s because home is where your family is: not where your possessions are stored.
When I was in high school, we moved four times in four years. In my lifetime I’ve lived in about fifteen different houses and apartments. One of them I stood in front of and watched burn to the ground.
I learned that home is not where the house is: but where my family lives.
I don’t miss anything that we lost in the house fire. Thankfully, it was our photo albums that were the only items to survive. But if I had lost my family in the tragedy, and somehow was able to save all my possessions and house, I wouldn’t have had a home left… just stuff.
My current home is beautiful, but you will find more beauty in the love we share than in our earthly possessions. A lesson I learned the hard way.
Do you think to yourself, “I wish I could give my family more: a better house, clothes, food, colleges…etc.” My mother really couldn’t give us anything of great value, but she did give me something I will cherish forever;
Mom had all the time in the world for her children, we were her joy.
The home wasn’t perfect, but we always knew Mom loved us. We lived in a few rundown places, but wherever Mom was, that was home…a place where my heart will always reside.
You may live in a run-down little trailer and feel you’re not providing a good enough home for your children. Take it from a girl who grew up poor, but whose house was filled with family; a simple home can carry your child through life if there is a parent present who loves them.
Afterall…
Home is Where the Heart Is💗
