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| Digital art by Sarah McMurray |
Home is more than a residence.
For me, it represents not only hearth but heart as well.
The idea of home has a certain emotional comfort ingrained within the
concept. Hence the phrase, "feel at home" is used to
express feeling relaxed and comfortable. I believe that there is also
a sense of security and sanctuary associated with "being
home."
I keep the physical space in my home free
of clutter in order to maintain a Zen-like feeling within. I have
added personal and spiritual touches throughout my home: there are
pictures of nature, mythic creatures and depictions of
several deities grace my walls. I also have three vision boards that I
have made. A vision board is a collage with careful intention behind each image
word or phrase contained therein. It is designed to help inspire your vision of
what you would like to manifest in your life; think law of attraction powered
poster. My refrigerator door also doubles as clip board
for inspirational quotes, prayers, poetry and a variety of
magnets. I like to consider it organized chaos hinting at mild O.C.D.
with random bits compiled in an orderly puzzle like
configuration.
In a psychological sense home and family
are closely linked in my mind. There is the home I was born into comprised
of the members of my family, and the central Oregon County and community I
was raised in. The actual house I was raised in is gone now. There is a Welsh
word that conveys this bitter sweet loss of a one time home: Hiraeth.
There is no direct English translation, but it loosely means,
“homesickness for a home to which you cannot return.” Instead of looking
back at loss I look forward to what the present has to offer.
It has been almost three years since I set
sail for Maui but still feel a close connection to my roots.
I regularly converse with family over the phone and walk the steps of my
old stomping grounds in my dreams. And from time to time, visions of
snow swirl in my head as I sleep without so much as a sheet in the Maui heat. I
remember my past, but don't dwell on it; as I take steps towards creating the
future I desire. Each step makes my dream clearer and closer at hand as I
work to find my niche in the world.
I find that I feel at home whenever my heart is
open and I allow myself to let go of trying to control things. I simply
go with the flow of life and immerse myself its endless river. As a
single woman, I have yet to form a family of my own. However, I find
that I am far from alone as I have fostered friendships with many wonderful
women and a few great men; one of whom is particularly special to me.
I believe that love is the truth unveiled and
the greatest human achievement. I believe family includes more than just
my family of origin. It’s also the family I find as I make my way through
the world; the kindred spirits that I have shared interests and close
connections with, my local community and the global community. If
indeed "home is where the heart is," how large of a range is
your home? Does it span multiple time zones? Could you extend the
borders to encompass the globe? Life evolves as should we and love is the
way we grow beyond our limitations, love is the motivating effort behind
extending ourselves towards others and expanding our understanding of
ourselves, the world and our role in it.
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