Your last bullet point about home being a safe and nurturing place for your children now *and* when they are adults -
Not judging or shaming, but I have noticeable unease when I visit my mom’s house (where I grew up, my parents divorced about 15 years ago when I was in college, my mom kept the house). I lived away at the end of nursing school for an internship, and when I returned, the home I loved and where I was nurtured was no longer the same, and shortly thereafter I purchased my own home. There are physical components that make it hard to feel comfortable, but more critically, the tone has changed over the years from one of nurture and family togetherness to things I don’t really need to name. I had never considered the importance of cultivating a safe and nurturing home throughout the entire lifespan of my kids (not a mom, yet), but wow, in looking at my own feelings and unease in my old home, I see how important it is. In contrast, my grandparents’ house is one that has sustained the same wonderful environment since I was a child!
That’s wonderful that your grandparents’ home has been that for you even after your mom’s home has shifted and changed for you. It’s because of home being a source of anxiety for me at various times in my life that I know see what a huge responsibility it is for me to maintain that space and to value my job in doing so. It’s where my husband comes home after a long and trying day of work (reminder that we don’t need children to make this job important, it’s important as wives, sister’s daughters and friends too!!!) it’s where my children know they are loved and accepted and I hope it’s the place they come back to when they lose their compass and need reminding of who they are, not in the context of our family, but in Christ so they can go back out in the world and be the men He is calling them to be!
One recent summer, at a family reunion, God showed me a similar message. My family is enormous, so family reunions are crazy and awesome. My grandmother birthed 9 children and each of those children had many of their own, so a couple years ago the horde of us pulled in my aunt's house and were hanging out in and around her pool. From across the pool I caught sight of my sweet grandma, on the porch quietly sitting and observing the absolute chaos that is 40+ people in the pool. She sat there contently smiling. At that moment, I saw it. A woman's treasure is not climbing the corporate ladder, it's not the mass of her social media following, it's not how successful her husband is or how perfectly scheduled and executed her day is. It's her children. (Not saying we have to have 9). But I felt like God was saying, be careful or you'll miss it. What a blessing, to be in her old age and looking out across the legacy she will soon leave behind on this earth. That's far more priceless than any amount of corporate success or individuality.
Your last bullet point about home being a safe and nurturing place for your children now *and* when they are adults -
Not judging or shaming, but I have noticeable unease when I visit my mom’s house (where I grew up, my parents divorced about 15 years ago when I was in college, my mom kept the house). I lived away at the end of nursing school for an internship, and when I returned, the home I loved and where I was nurtured was no longer the same, and shortly thereafter I purchased my own home. There are physical components that make it hard to feel comfortable, but more critically, the tone has changed over the years from one of nurture and family togetherness to things I don’t really need to name. I had never considered the importance of cultivating a safe and nurturing home throughout the entire lifespan of my kids (not a mom, yet), but wow, in looking at my own feelings and unease in my old home, I see how important it is. In contrast, my grandparents’ house is one that has sustained the same wonderful environment since I was a child!
That’s wonderful that your grandparents’ home has been that for you even after your mom’s home has shifted and changed for you. It’s because of home being a source of anxiety for me at various times in my life that I know see what a huge responsibility it is for me to maintain that space and to value my job in doing so. It’s where my husband comes home after a long and trying day of work (reminder that we don’t need children to make this job important, it’s important as wives, sister’s daughters and friends too!!!) it’s where my children know they are loved and accepted and I hope it’s the place they come back to when they lose their compass and need reminding of who they are, not in the context of our family, but in Christ so they can go back out in the world and be the men He is calling them to be!
Thanks for sharing, Lacey! ❤️❤️
One recent summer, at a family reunion, God showed me a similar message. My family is enormous, so family reunions are crazy and awesome. My grandmother birthed 9 children and each of those children had many of their own, so a couple years ago the horde of us pulled in my aunt's house and were hanging out in and around her pool. From across the pool I caught sight of my sweet grandma, on the porch quietly sitting and observing the absolute chaos that is 40+ people in the pool. She sat there contently smiling. At that moment, I saw it. A woman's treasure is not climbing the corporate ladder, it's not the mass of her social media following, it's not how successful her husband is or how perfectly scheduled and executed her day is. It's her children. (Not saying we have to have 9). But I felt like God was saying, be careful or you'll miss it. What a blessing, to be in her old age and looking out across the legacy she will soon leave behind on this earth. That's far more priceless than any amount of corporate success or individuality.
What a blessing it is to have eyes to see the truth. ❤️❤️