We’re On Our Way Home….
By Jasmine Wood
Hello Mamas!
This week I find myself with a bit of writer’s block… My mind is scattered after being out of town for a week, the first half of the week spent camping with my little family, the second half of the week grieving the loss of a loved one on my husband side’s of the family. We finally arrived back Sunday, just in time for me to go to work for the day, but my mind was numbed with a combination of grief and sheer exhaustion.
I came home to a house that was just as scattered as my brain! Bouquets of wildflowers days past composting time, garlic from the garden waiting to be cured, camping gear strewn about the place, not to mention the state of the floors. After working all afternoon I came home to unpack bags, tend to needy vegetables and wash the floors. I was out cold by 9 pm, fearing that Monday morning would come all together too soon!
Monday morning came and I found myself content to be back in my cozy bed, husband and little one still sleeping peacefully. I have found that as I get older time away from home represents something all together different to me than when I was young! Of course, vacation still conjures images of ice cream cones, lazy afternoons at the beach, and nights spent around the campfire! But now, getting away from the house also means a welcome break in the monotony of day to day life! No bills to pay, no email to check, no compost to put out, no house to tidy, etc.
It is so wonderful to create a space with your family where nothing else matters except what you are doing in that moment! The last two years I found myself feeling a bit down on the last day of vacation, thinking about assimilating back to the mundane routine of everyday life! My husband said to me “Well darling, I’m not going to take you on vacation if you are going to cry the whole way home!” His words echoed in my head and I took time to reflect.
What is it about happiness that causes us to think it is fleeting? I realized that my life from day to day is not mundane at all, but rather the opposite, in fact. Being at home with a toddler I am constantly on my toes, always learning, always evolving! Although vacation is a nice respite from my day to day routine, I also appreciate the “coming home” aspect of vacationing too!
Is there anything better than coming home after time spent away: you arrive to the comfort of familiar smells, your favorite foods in the fridge and the reassurance of your own bed to sleep in! Life on the road has its thrills, I feel blessed that I am able to look forward to arriving back to my loving little home at the end of each long day!
Till Next Time, Be Well!
Jasmine