I have been devoted to creating a warm and welcoming home this fall. Not that I didn't prioritize this before, but now I am more committed than ever. After retiring from a 34-year career as an educator, I'm playing catch-up with regard to home organization and clean-up--I'm prioritizing updating my home in simple ways to make my home warm and welcoming.
As I prepare for the holidays as part of this effort, I am reminded about the good memories holidays and special family events of any kind bring to us. My family celebrated Christmas and I continue that tradition today. The picture on this page illustrates many of my Christmas holiday memories--I loved the star at the top of the tree, babies sleeping nearby, and the excitement of what beautifully wrapped presents would bring. Most of all, I loved the warmth and togetherness of the holidays. There was good food, lots of play and creativity, story telling, singing, good shows and movies, and all kinds of special parties and events.
As a child, I had a happy home. We had a fairly predictable schedule, and every weekend we did something fun together--positive activities such as skating, sledding, snowshoeing, ski-mobiling, skiing, hiking, biking, and playing lots of outdoor games. We were a busy family of eight with lots and lots of cousins who enjoyed life in many positive and healthy ways. That helped me to see the goodness of life, and promise of strong, loving relationships.
As I update my home this year, I am thinking about how I might recreate that happiness for my children and their loved ones. I know that a strong and loving home provides people with the kind of strength and support they need to live good lives. As a busy young mother, I often had to sacrifice my efforts at home in order to do my job well. As a believer in strong families and warm, welcoming homes, I also want to advocate for more reasonable work schedules and expectations as well as fair pay for all people so they have the time and resources to establish the kinds of loving, warm, and welcoming homes that make for good living.