What makes a house a Home?


Here we are - finally doing the packing thing. Deciding what we can keep that will be appropriate to carry with us in our RV full time, what we can give away without much pain, and are we going to be able to actually get rid of things with out being sorry about it later. You know - if you've ever had to move, or downsize, or REALLY condense your stuff - it's not easy. I probably still have every card I ever received; have every little trinket and souvenir the kids have brought home from garage sales or school field trips, or dollar stores. Just for me, given with proud smiles.
And mugs? Where the heck am I going to put 30 mugs in my trailer? And I won't part with any of them because I've actually been able to get rid of 4 or 5 - all others stay. Well at least for another week until I downsize them again next week. :)
So tonight, Ron mentioned that he is going to steam all the wall paper off the walls in the entrance hallway so the new owner of the house won't have to do it. At first it upset me because, you see, it's patriotically themed. Laurie helped me pick out the wallpaper and the border when she was home on leave during a major remodeling project. On these walls hung my little pictures of angels holding flags, of a little girl dressed in red, white and blue, and where I hung the poem I wrote for Laurie a long time ago. The Heart of A Soldier - my only published written work. There is another wall - in an RV - waiting for them.
So I realized, as I took all of these wall hangings down, that no matter what the walls look like without the paper, no amount of steaming will remove the feelings represented on that wall for so many years. The pride, the love, the thanksgiving - all the joy, and fear, and faith that go into being an American military mom can't be steamed off my heart, or my memory.
So what makes a house a home? Not walls, or interior decorating, not anything material.
It's the memories, the love, and family happenings shared within these walls. And they will go with us no matter where we go.
God is good.
Blessings my friends.
And may He bless our troops wherever they serve, and those who wait.