2021: Reconnect to “sense” of home
It has been nearly 12 months since many Americans all over the country found themselves sequestered in their homes.
In 2020 our perception of “home” was reset. As startling as that was initially, we were astounded by how we were unexpectedly – and maybe increasingly – reminded of the value of home as the year continued.
I know that in 2019 my home functioned, in many ways, like a central station: A cozy place to sleep above, our favorite bistro in the main terminal, and a point of intersection for all of our departures and arrivals.
But by March of 2020, the flurry of back and forth ground to a halt, and instead of an urban center of activity, our home became much more akin to the quaint Main Street of mid-nineteenth century towns. Home was suddenly not just a favorite place to lay over between adventures, but it was the destination for every adventure. Since we no longer had differing departure times on differing tracks, our home took on the pace of a small town bed and breakfast – a precious mealtime we enjoyed anew together every day. On weekdays, home was transformed into both the school house and the office. On Sunday, it was the place we went for our church service. One weekend, the front porch became a concert stage. The next weekend, the same front porch hosted a grateful group of teenagers – cancelled-event “refugees” we called them. My daughter became our tailor, and discovered a new passion for the art of embroidery in the meantime. My son filled the role of mechanic, and picked up more than his share of knowledge as he tinkered daily in the garage. Home even became the barber shop, for a time. It was quite the Main Street indeed.
Entirely independent of the pandemic, 2020 was also the year I had the privilege of moving from a midtown office to my new studio, adjacent to my home. So, I was present to take in all the ways our home served us, better than it ever had:
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it connected us to one another, and invited us into deeper relationship
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it opened wide, to connect us to our community
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in the next breath, it drew us into ourselves for quiet times of reflection
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it accommodated our ever changing roles
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it nestled us in on the stormy days
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it made room for our new creative pursuits
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it coaxed us into slowing down, and experiencing these moments more deeply
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it bore witness, as we discovered new things about ourselves and one another
These lessons will not soon be abandoned in the new year! Instead, they leave us longing to understand “home” better.
If 2020 was our year to return to home, this is our year to reconnect to a sense of home. It’s not just a house – it’s a home. Moreover, it’s not just a home, it’s where our story lives. And now, we aim to let our homes reflect our stories better than ever before.
That’s what we’ll be talking about as we move ahead. We hope you’ll join us, at @inhabityourstory. There’s so much we want to share with you.
Steve Kemp <ADD SIGNATURE LOGO>
