Heart

Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. --Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Homesick in Heaven

It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home. ~Author Unknown

Where thou art - that - is Home. ~Emily Dickinson

When you smiled you had my undivided attention. When you laughed you had my urge to laugh with you. When you cried you had my urge to hold you. When you said you loved me, you had my heart forever. --unknown

Once a woman has given you her heart, you can never get rid of the rest of her. – Sir Joh Vanbrugh


During the past several weeks of solitude I have been trying to keep myself busy because the girls are gone, The Man is gone SO I’ve had the pleasure (or NOT) of entertaining myself. Of course, I’ve spent some time with friends, done some much needed things around the house, read some great books and keept up with the (always undone) homework but most of my time has been spent doing some introspection. I think that since I hit the ripe old age of 40 I am so much more self-aware and conscious of myself. I am certainly missing having the constant hustle and bustle of daily life but having a little alone-time never hurts anyone—or that’s the idea anyway.

Today I woke up to the noble sound of The Man’s voice on the other end of the phone. When we hung up I immediately began my daily routine of readying myself for work and getting out the door. While making a bite to eat I thought about the meaning of a home, what it means to me. *As I said, since I hit the ripe old age of 40 things now have new meaning* While preparing to write I did some searching for quotes about the heart and home and (as you see above) there are some wonderful words penned by great writers that paint beautiful word pictures. I began to recall a book that we used to read during our homeschooling days about different types of homes, how they all may look different but the basic premise is very similar.

These days home is something so different to me than it was in my younger years. In my teen years home was wherever my friends were. In my 20s home was wherever the military might decide to send me. In my 30s home was a place to provide comfort to my children (it still is I might add). Now home is less a place and more a feeling. Home is somewhere we reside but it is also a place where we build lasting and meaningful relationships. Home is not simply comprised of those who have the same genetic code but those whom we choose to give our heart to. This includes friends, family, children and neighbors.

Relationships, there are few things that I find more important in the word. Not just the occasional ‘hi, how you doing’ relationship but ones that stand the test of time. I like the last quote I found because it is so true (for me) because once I have given you my heart, I am there for good. I have met and still meet a lot of good people but few have captured my heart in that way. Home is a place of comfort, peace and a place within our heart. Home is not just a house, apartment or other shelter where we reside. It is a place where ones affections are centered.