Appreciation

[madhen]

I sometimes find myself thinking that life would be better if I had more time, money, etc. The world is full of things I can't have and probably can't even really ever dream of having.

But when I find myself getting depressed over how some people seem to just have what they want handed to them, I think about my life and what I've seen and done in it, and I have to admit, I am pretty lucky.

As part of my job, I am on the road, and I often end up in other people's homes. Some of those homes are beautiful, and I find myself envious of the life that must be lived there. Other homes are horrible, and I can't wait to get away. But despite what you might think, the beauty of those homes, for me, lies not in the material objects one finds there, but in an almost indefinable ambience that exists when the people who live there are happy and content with their lives.

I've seen homes that are immaculate and beautiful cosmetically, with swimming pools, manicured rolling lawns, music rooms, etc. Some of the people I've met who live in those homes have been wonderful people. One woman had more money than she knew what to do with, and had several (yes several) custom-made pipe organs. She was a concert pianist, and she played a bit for me. Yet what impressed me more than all her wealth was her grace and her humanity. Here she was, wrapped up in her wealth and celebrity, and she was genuinely eager to share her music with me. She loved one of the organs immensely, and played on it to share with me her love for it. She had a husband who was dying in a convalescent hospital, and she had no real family to speak of, but she had a love and a passion for something outside herself that left her no time for self-pity.

Then I've been in homes that sport the same amenities (although I have to admit, hers was the most beautiful), and the people within it are petty or small-minded. I forget them the moment I walk out their doors, except for an absent, malingering feeling of dislike. I see their furnishings as trophies to be held up as a symbol of superiority to others.

I've been in little, cramped mobile homes and found both classes of people there. One was FULL of pets from cats and dogs to an iguana in a HUGE reptile enclosure, and the couple who lived there introduced me to each cat and told me its life history. The house was tiny and didn't smell all that great, but the happiness and peace inside overrode all the negatives. One thing that greatly impressed me was how all the pets' living quarters were clean and full of toys. Was it Gandhi who said you can judge a society based on how it treats its animals?

So it comes down, for me, to the impression that the lives of those I meet leave on me, not on how expensive their cars are, or if they have a home theatre system.

Consequently, when I think about my life, I try to think about all the wonderful things in it and all the unique adventures I've had and will hopefully continue to have. I think about how lucky I am to have a roof over my head, to have my health, use of all my limbs, all my animals, who give me comfort and entertainment EVERY day, good friends, family, and the ability to enjoy each day as it comes, or if I can't enjoy it for some reason, the ability to understand that tomorrow will probably be better.

I don't have a mansion on rolling manicured lawns. I don't have a swimming pool. I don't have a music room - I don't even have a piano. My furniture is all old or donated by family members who got tired of trying to all sit on one couch. My toilets don't always sparkle, and my kitchen counters are usually cluttered. But I hope that visitors to my home leave with the same admiration that I have felt when leaving a house of contentment, and will take with them a feeling of a house well-lived in and well-loved, rather than a simple admiration for the furnishings within.

[Sara Noel]

This was wonderful to read and very true.

[annymoll]

I have a friend that has a wonderful home. It's small and cozy.She sews all her own curtains and quilts.She makes her own rugs. Everything has her personal touch, and that is what makes it so unique.I love to look at her photo albums. The neatest thing about a visit, is that when I leave, I feel both rested and recharged.

[LisaInND]

But I hope that visitors to my home leave with the same admiration that I have felt when leaving a house of contentment

What a beautiful phrase - a house of contentment. I think we would all be doing well if our homes could be described this way.

Thank you for the lovely words.

Lisa in ND

[acox68]

Thank you so much for your beautiful post....it gave me a lot to think about.....

Andrea

[PrairieRose]

I totally agree with you......thanks for sharing.

[Starlight9803]

that was a beautiful post, thanks for sharing.

[cissylu]

That was so beautiful! thank you for sharing this with me.