When a House is a Home

Everything starts from the home

I honestly think that people underestimate the importance of a proper home. They really do. Do I mean expensive no. Do I mean large no. Then what?

Well, I mean pouring your heart and soul into the place where you and your family will gather and making it as beautiful and as reflective of your personalities as you can. And beautiful is all relative. When Richard and I were a young couple we bought our first house together. We could not have been prouder. I think it cost all of $80,000 dollars. We brought the down payment all in cash in a paper bag to the closing. What did we know, lol?

It was so tiny, but it was a jewel box by the time I got finished with it. It had a den, a tiny galley kitchen a small elevated area that you could put a dining table in, two bathrooms and three small bedrooms. I bought all my den furniture from a man on the side of the road. Less than one thousand dollars for a house full of stuff and he delivered it to us in the back of his truck. I remember it was a Victorian sofa and a matching loveseat, a high back chair, a coffee table, two end tables, and a lamp. The upholstery colors were forest green with mauve stripes. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, lol!!

I was so appreciative that the Lord had given us a home.

We built a half basketball court in the back yard and bought the biggest blow-up pool we could find.

I dressed the dining room table up with lace tablecloths and my grandmothers silver service and once a month we had formal tea. I entertained, I had dinner parties and I invited all our family and friends over every holiday to celebrate. People loved that house. We could barely get folks to leave.

It never occurred to me that I lived in a tiny house in a tiny neighborhood. Many of our friends lived in bigger more expensive homes but still, they kept stopping by.

When we finally sold that house the people who bought it wanted everything, I had in it. My mauve drapes, my mauve carpet, my vintage piano from someone’s garage sale that I re-varnished, my roadside furniture everything. Even the art I had on the walls. Little did they know, none of it was original. I just ordered museum copies of famous prints and framed them well.

I think those folks felt the warmth of our home and wanted the whole package. It certainly wasn’t my taste or my matchy pink decorations but the love that I poured into that house that shined through. So, I sold them everything. Because I knew that when I got my new house it would have a whole different look and feel to it.

Not to mention my price points had moved up just a bit, so I didn’t have to buy my furniture off the side of the road anymore. Next time around I could go to Sears instead!!

So, it’s not how big your house is or even what the zip code may be that makes a house a home. And expensive stuff doesn’t make a home either. It’s you. Whatever state you’re in the bible says; be content. Or better yet strive to make yourself content. It will make all the difference in the world to you and all the people around you.