I blow the dust off this blog, look over a few things, and smile. This has been a place of meeting such great women, of new friendships birthed, of a few stories and a bit of life from my family shared, and it’s special. It’s been a good break, this year and a half of hardly posting at all, of months passing without me even logging in. Sometimes stepping away is the best thing we can do.
It’s been a season of incredible change for us the past 18 months. Selling our much-loved cottage, moving 800 miles, renovating a little city house, having our 4th child… I wasn’t sure if blogging was still something for me. Maybe it was over, just for the season of our life at the Cottage, and since the Cottage is gone, blogging is gone too?
But I’ve still been writing. Journaling, writing down thoughts for myself, even if no one else sees them. Writing is just part of me, whether or not it’s public. I expect it’s like that for a lot of people.
And lately I’ve been wanting to resurrect this blog again. Not in the same way that I blogged before, with an old cottage, our “dream home,” of DIY’s and projects, but rather coming from a completely different perspective. We’re in a temporary house right now, small. It’s cozy, but challenging for the size of our family. It’s not our forever house, but we’ve been here a year, and may be here a while yet.
The blog-world is filled with stunning homes, people’s dream homes. Their forever homes, where they have everything exactly as they want it. And I’m happy for them! Don’t we all wish for that? :)
What’s been on my heart to write about is different though… What if we aren’t in our dream home? What if we struggle to make the space work? What if a room gets rearranged 5 times and I cry tears of frustration because I just can’t make it work?! What if there are 12 steps from your front door to your back door, and your master bedroom is on the 3rd story and your laundry is in the basement? hashtag legs of steel
All of this has been me. Sometimes still is me. But I am determined to find a place of contentment, of not just enduring, but of thriving, right here and right now. I’m guessing there are probably a lot of other women in the same place, who have amazing strength and have chosen joy and have thrived in places that others have overlooked. Women who make a tiny space a sanctuary, where sunbeams dance even in the smallest of homes, and hearts sing and are glad because of the peace that is found in the heart of the Homemaker. And there are others who have a hard time, who wrestle and struggle, and think happiness won’t come for them until they are in the place of their dreams. Or at least, a place that has a yard bigger than a postage stamp, or more than one bathroom for a family of 6! Or maybe you’re perfectly contented, and wonder what all the fuss is about. ;)
Wherever we find ourselves, I’m wanting this to be a place of encouragement, of linking arms and encouraging us to BE the women that truly make our homes what they are.
What I’ll be doing the next few weeks, perhaps months, is what I’m calling “The Little House Series.” Things I’m learning about small spaces, both in soul and practically, and sharing real parts of my own journey of choosing joy and contentment. Looking forward to chatting soon.
