Home is where the heART is...

"Where thou art - that - is Home." ~Emily Dickinson

It feels good to be home. I returned earlier today from a belated Christmas celebration with my siblings at my mom's house, in the even colder tundra of northern Minnesota.

It felt good to eat a big meal prepared by mom. Not only is she an incredible cook, but she infused it with a tremendous amount of love. It's been over 6 years since I've eaten a meal cooked by her. Sure, I see her often enough, but we're always at my grandma's, my sister's, my house, or camping. But 6 years--how did that much time go by?? My siblings have not been together under my mom's roof since we helped her pack and move out of our childhood home when her and my dad got divorced. But, let's face it, sometimes bad times happen for good reasons.

I've had plenty of rough spots with my mom, but over these past several years she has transformed into the most incredible woman I know. Maybe it's the rough spots that make me appreciate her all the more. She is, after all, the inspiration for the Be Brave Project. But, really, she is so much more than that. It felt good to go home. And now it feels good to be home.

Despite the fact that this house is only rented, I think there is a part of me that has come to appreciate what this particular house provides. After a long road trip, the softness of our broken in couch and dog snuggles feels better than ever. The sound of happily snoring cats causes me to settle in even deeper.

This is an art filled home. It is an animal filled home. It is a love filled home. As Sarah Ban Breathnach writes: "Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need." I feel that way today. I have everything I need. And it feels good.

These letters are part of an ongoing project:
"WORD OF THE DAY :: living life one word at a time."
Today's word is HOME. heart + art = HOME
See more letters and words at my Patch of Sky Etsy shop, here.

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