Years ago, friends of mine used to move around quite often as part of his job requirement. It seemed they just got nicely settled and put so much of their heart and soul into their recent place and they would get an order to move again.
One day I asked her how she did it, time after time. I had relocated a couple of times, but I couldn’t rebound the way they did.
They just seemed to take it in stride, and I really admired them.
She told me that each time they transferred, the moment they got into a new house, the first thing she did was to hang up her pictures and put out her favourite things, and that is what made the place instantly: ‘Home’. Well, as it turned out along my road of life, my years were to follow theirs after all.
On one move that I was upset over, my daughter gave me a little pettit point picture of a house with a heart-shaped window and it read:
"Home Is Where You Hang Your Heart".
Over the next 10 years, situations happened, and I had to move seven times. Well, that little picture is still with me at the house I am in today.
My friends had a great philosophy about life and taking one day at a time. They looked at every opportunity as a new adventure. What a blessing for me, that I latched onto their way of thinking.
That’s exactly what I did. I put up pictures and unpacked favourite things and it did make all the difference. After a few times of practice, I got really good at the 'packing & unpacking’ method.
One of those moves will always stand out in my memory, and in most of the family's as well.
I had wanted to give my brother-in-law, Richard, a surprise birthday party for his 80th, but I had just moved into cute little house out of the city a few days earlier.
I had lots of help with family and friends coming out to help me get settled, so I thought well this will be it. I’m not postponing it. We put all the food together, someone picked up a cake. I piled my unpacked boxes in corners and threw tablecloths over them, set my plants and lamps on top, and they looked fine. Out the ornaments, Several more pictures were quickly hung on the walls, and area carpets covered any flooring nightmares. The barbecue, the wooden swing and chairs were ready to be used.
The weather was perfect. The family was together. I was home.
My darling niece, Iris, had this picture in her favourite place before she passed away and it truly was her happy place. She was 100% contented with her surroundings.
Where I am now … this is my happy place.
Getting back to the party as everyone arrived, I felt as though I had always been there.
And I learned that that’s how it’s done, a helpful outlook when you have to move from place to place and it isn’t necessarily always your own choice.
Thanks to my old friends who shared the secret of their success, I also learned to quickly find that wherever I was today, THAT would be my happy place.
My brother-in-law was pleased and surprised beyond measure! And I was so thankful I hadn’t postponed it. We didn’t have many more of those parties with him.
The day was a complete blessing all the way through, and we still reminisce about that happy birthday for such a special guy with a heart of gold. He always brought smiles and truly made everywhere he went a happy place.
Blessings today, Dear Readers wherever you may be, and are reading this. Today might not be perfect, but find a corner to have a few moments to yourself to reminisce or give thanks and make that spot your happy place.
- Marlane.
Excerpted from the book "101 Blessings" by Marlane Lillian Mazur.
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