“There’s nothing like staying home for real comfort.” ~Jane Austen, author
Trips are fun — the whole going someplace new or going back to a favorite vacation spot. But for all the excitement of the planning and the preparation, for all the memories made while I’m gone, my favorite part of a trip is …
coming home.
Ah, the feeling of walking back into my house and savoring being home.
There’s the couch that’s perfect for lounging while watching TV. Or for napping. Or for pushing back out of the way so the family can engage in a rousing round of Wii.
There’s my kitchen. My family is always in the kitchen — and friends often join us. Sometimes we’re cooking, and when I say “we’re cooking” I mean all the Vogt family. There’s nothing better than all the Vogt kiddos (plus any spouses and one new fiance) taking over the kitchen. And sometimes we’re in the kitchen not cooking — sometimes we’re dancing. Just because we always have.
There’s my bed that’s often got a pile of To Be Read books beside it and some clothes waiting to be folded on top of it … that’s real life around my home.
There are my walls — a few painted a favorite color of green — and all the sayings I’ve framed through the years. A friend walked in my house once and said, “Wow. You have a lot of words on your walls.” Yeah, I do. Sayings like:
- Let Your Life Speak.
- Home: Love is spoken here.
- Simplify.
- Be content with what you have.
- Let the kids know that I love them. ~God
- In everything give thanks.
My home. Being here is the most comfortable place to be.
In Your Words: What makes staying home “real comfort” for you?
Comments 23
Home, family, that loving feeling. Yup. Agree!
🙂 And agreed.
Home (where I actually live) – the quiet. I love it!
Home-home (where my parents live and my family gathers) – the noise. I love it!
An — the ability to embrace both.
When Steve and I married, we combined his son, my sons, his furniture, my furniture. But we splurged on an off-white leather sofa for the family room, complete with a chaise lounge on one end. We love watching a family movie, snuggling on our end of the sofa, while the boys sprawl on the rest. We love retreating to the haven of our bedroom, closing the rest of the world out. But, after four-years of loneliness when I was widowed, home really begins the minute Steve walks in the door.
Roxanne,
Now you made me smile and cry at the same time.
I love that the comfort of your home is more than just what stuff is inside those four walls. 🙂 Memories, sayings, the important things are the comfort. Love that. For me, it’s boy-hugs, sunlight shining through windows, family pictures that bring back happy memories, books,comfortable furniture, my own bed, hanging with my family. Those are real comfort.
So well said, Jeanne.
I feel most comfortable when my house is clean (even the kids’ rooms), a cinnamon candle is burning, maybe something sweet baking in the oven. Just the family together in one place. That’s comfort to me. 🙂
Family together.
The best of comfort.
I love the words you choose and live AND the visible fruit it produces.
In mine/ours a lot comes through songs, but also their designated places in drawers, my china cabinet, and other places for their collected for personal treasures. I thank God that I’m seeing those things help mean “HOME.”
I am not surprised that songs play a part of home for you, Dee. I’ve been blessed by hearing you sing over me and for me.
Food smells, being tucked away in certain comfy chairs and couches. My bed. Yes, the signs. I spend a good deal of time cleaning yesterday for book club. The house looks great but I’m almost craving a little clutter back. B/c kid clutter screams home to me now.
~ Wendy
One day my daughter walked in the house and it was all picked up –nothing on the kitchen counters.
Her first words were, “Who’s coming over?”
🙂
LOL! 😉
My family moved every year or two when I was growing up, so when Gwynly and I bought our first house, I finally felt like a had a real home. We’ve been here eighteen years now, and I love the feeling of being settled. Our place isn’t big or fancy (or clean), but it’s the one place I most like to be. We’ve made so many memories here, and I treasure them. I like that our college daughter can’t remember having lived anywhere else. Unlike me, she loves to travel, and I like to think that comes from having had a sense of stability and security here at “home.”
Your comment made me smile, Keli.
Family is about coming home …
I agree, Beth. Our kitchen is home to dance parties too…and family dinners…and board games…and laughter.
The kitchen — one of the best rooms in the house, for certain!
I loved this post and agree with every bit of it. We have a big bench in our kitchen, so if family members/guests are not in the kitchen with me or my husband, they are sitting at the bench chatting to us, which I love. Coming home after a holiday is one of the nicest things about the holiday 🙂 Beautiful post.
For someone who hates routine, I think that’s what I love about being home. And I don’t really have a routine…well, maybe a little one, like quiet time first thing in the morning with my coffee, then writing…then a knitting group on Mondays and a prayer group on Thursdays…
Actually I didn’t realize the routine deal until I was away from home and out of my routine. Great post, Beth.
I love that at home I can truly be comfortable being me. 🙂
Let Your Life Speak–love that and love that you have words on your walls Beth!
I keep telling my husband we need more walls … ’cause I more words I want to put up. 🙂