Look around. What do you see?
Dirty carpets. Furniture that's seen better days. Mismatched china, cluttered kitchens, drab and bedraggled window coverings. There's nothing like Christmas to bring us face-to-face with the things we find lacking in our home.In our own defense, it must be pointed out that we are subject to some outside agitation!
Notice last Sunday's furniture ads? 95% of them feature a holiday dining room: fireplace, groaning board, shining table. The fact that such a palatial spread won't fit in 99% of American homes? Pish-tush! Why distract our glowing furniture fantasy with cold, hard realities?
Today, we'll make a holiday home spruce-up list. We'll circle our house and shake our heads. We'll cluck our tongues at the window coverings and dream, yet again, of that dining room table . . . the one from the ad . . . with chairs that match . . . and a fireplace . . . and a complete set of Christmas china . . . . Hey, wake up!
Before we assess the State of the House, we need to return to one central idea: a holiday home is a welcoming home--and the quality of welcome has nothing to do with the quality of the furniture.
We seek a welcoming home, one that invites holiday guests inside and surrounds them with warmth. A welcoming home, happy center of our family's Christmas celebration. A welcoming home, that greets and enfolds us with light and cheer and good smells at the end of each busy day.
Think back to Christmas Past. Where did you feel most cherished, most delighted, most welcome in the homes of your friends?
Not that breathlessly-expensive designer show house, coldly perfect, where you feared you might track dirt on the spotless white carpet with every step. Not that oh-so-perfect holiday house, where you spent all your time keeping the children from touching, moving or breaking one of the hand-crafted oh-so-perfect decorations that covered every surface. You may have admired these homes as works of art--but did you truly feel welcome?
I hope you remembered a home like I remember. It belongs to good friends who embody the very quality of welcome. For the life of me, I can't remember one thing about the carpets, although I admire very much the creative decorating touches that are the product of this woman's hands.
What I remember best is the perfect welcome that this home extends.
Yes, the rooms are small--but so cheery and warm and full of friends that no one notices. Delicious food and drink floats about, creating a sense of abundance. Who can recall whether the trays were silver or plastic, the ingredients simple or costly?
Good post Layla. I agree. I have been to both and much prefer the latter.
Harry
When I lived in my house in Ohio, everyone in the family gathered there on Christmas Eve. I used to kill myself cleaning and be upset because the furniture was shabby, the carpet worn and this and that needed fixed. The tree was old - the ornaments a mish mash - etc, etc. After the food was set out, the lights turned down, the tree and candles were lit and Christmas music was playing and everyone gathered - who noticed? It all seemed warm, beautiful and magical.
You are so right Layla. It is the spirit of the season that matters. And I think that is why all my grandkids like to hang out at my house! We just have fun, and the messes happen, but so what?
Wonderful message with true Christmas spirit
However, don't forget that it is very poor feng shui to have broken and dirty things around you. So toss the chipped dishes and repair or toss the broken furniture, and for pity's sake, use some upholstery cleaner on your your overstuffed items. THEN deck the halls and get out the wassail bowl.
