This time of year, perhaps more than any other, I strive to create a home that
reflects peace, well-being, and comfort. After the bounty of Thanksgiving and with
the arrival of Advent – both of which herald shorter days and longer
nights – I just want to hole up, batten down the hatches, and retreat into a
space that is warm, cozy, loving, and yes, spiritual. I want our home to offer
a respite from the hectic pace that the world tries to set during this time of
year.
When my boys come home from college or when my husband comes
home from work at the end of the day, I want them to walk in the door and
experience that sense of "coming home". So, I fluff pillows and turn on lamps. I pick
up clutter, put away the laundry basket, and turn on some music. I set the
table and have dinner ready. I don’t do any of these things because they are expected;
rather, I do them because it’s something I can give.
In the grand scheme of things
it may seem insignificant – a flickering candle, a fuzzy blanket, a basket of
books – but sometimes little things have the greatest impact when it comes to
nourishing us physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Of course, I realize that I am able to do all this because, as a
writer, I work from home. But I used to work outside the home, and even now
there are times when I am gone all day, but since this is something I really, really want to be able to do, I find a way despite the fact that it's not always easy.
One of the nicest compliments I ever received was when
someone told me that coming into our home was like getting a giant hug. And
that’s all I want. To lovingly welcome my husband, my sons, friends and family;
to give them what I can to help make this brief stop in their otherwise hectic
day be a moment of peace.
To be able to say, “Welcome home.”
Sharing Ideas: How to Create a Welcoming Home during Advent
and Christmas
Physically: things that appeal to the senses
Smell: There is nothing like walking into a home with the aroma of cookies baking in the oven, bread rising on the counter, or
soup bubbling on the stove. Burn an apple/cinnamon candle in the family room,
place sweet smelling soaps in the bathrooms, light a fire in the fireplace.
Taste: Nourishment for the body means a home-cooked
meal after a long commute, muffins on a rainy afternoon, or hot chocolate by a
roaring fire; it means eating out less, and eating in more; it means having
those Christmas cookies, but also serving a hearty stew.
Touch: Bring out the pillows,
throws, and afghans … nothing fancy, because you want them to be used; make the
beds with freshly laundered sheets for the college student (after sleeping in sheets that haven't been changed since forever, they REALLY appreciate this) and hang fluffy
towels in the bathroom.
sight: As soon as the sun
goes down, be the lamplighter. But don’t turn on overhead lights; rather,
turn on a corner lamp in every room. Have dinner by candlelight (this time of
year candlelight isn’t an occasion in our home, but a nightly event); make sure
the porch light is on and the porch/walkway is swept and welcoming.
sound: Replace the
background noise of the television with soothing music (hymns, classical music,
spiritual Christmas carols).
Mentally: things that quiet us
-Encourage those pockets of quiet time to read, play a board game, or watch a
movie together.
-Be organized in an effort to counterbalance life's hectic pace.
-Regularly pick up clutter (a restful environment goes a long way in resting
the mind).
-Take it
outside. Set up the telescope in the back yard and look at the moon. Sit around
the fire pit and tell ghost stories. Go for a midnight walk.
-Keep things
simple. Host one party instead of two; bake two batches of cookies instead of three; serve soup
and sandwiches instead of ordering takeout.
Spiritually: things that give meaning
-Extend
grace with additional prayers.
-Practice
faith traditions with the Advent wreath, the Joshua Tree, or a Christmas
Nativity.
-Each night, pass around any Christmas card that arrived that day and pray for
that person.
-Pray the rosary by the light of the Christmas tree.
-Attend an
Advent penance service. Go out for ice-cream afterwards.
