Home for Peace

Good Morning -

I toyed with different names for this post before eventually settling on "Home for Peace."

I could have just as easily called it "Home for Things that Don't Immediately Make Sense" or "Home for Abstractions" or "Home for Colors" because all of those came to mind when I finally settled on this image last night as I was making the Virgen.

I think I've mentioned already how hard it's been to approach the nightly Virgen with a specific idea and image in mind - much more so than flipping through magazines until an image strikes me and I explore what about that image spoke to me regarding the day I'm wrapping up.

I'm about done with "When I say "Home", I mean...", so will be back to flipping and developing meaning by the end of the week. It's been an interesting challenge to come at the nightly Virgens from a specific intention, but I'll also be glad to be done (I think, perhaps, this is how some feel about certain religious rituals - understand their importance, participate in them, glad when those 40 days are over and it's back to Ordinary Time (that's what the Catholics called it, anyway)).

I was thinking about this project last night as I flipped and realized that in good praxis (theory made actual), I need to make sure that I'm giving my current home environment as much as it gives me.

I've created this theoretical land of Dream Home and Community and have all sorts of great ideas about what it will give to me and what I will give to it.

Meanwhile, I have a current home environment that currently gives much to me and that I need to be sure that I'm giving as much to it. This current home doesn't have all the features of my Dream Home, but it's where I am and gives me much for which I am grateful.

A quick list would include: great partner, fantastic cats, excellent weather, walkable city, good local food, good bath tub, gas stove and oven, fireplace, (partial) basement, wood floors, social-minded community, diverse community (I haven't covered my need for diversity yet, but will before its over - image hunting for that needs to be very specific and intentional), water, trees, green, mountains, snow, four moderate seasons, art events, thinking events, free events, great public transportation system, etc. - all of which I am deeply grateful for.

So, while there's a dove on the Virgen and I absolutely, without wiggle room, need peace in my home (I won't be with someone who yells or responds physically to anger. It's a non-negotiable. Some aren't bothered by such expressions of anger, but they are absolutely not for me.), the image also speaks to my need for abstractions and symbolism and images and ideas that have layers to discover and explore.

Here's to that. Here's to exploring layers. Here's to abstractions, symbolism, peace, and moving theory into practice.

(Speaking of layers to explore, this will be one for a Virgen after the "home series".

I just fell into a 5 minute reverie after typing the line about layers and being sucked into my thinking about my sadness lately. We went to a friends' house on Saturday for dinner and I met their beautiful almost 2-yr old angel baby. I found myself being reserved with him (so, so, so not my usual style with kids) and realized later that it was because I was hesitant to get too close to him. One of the impacts of the family divorce four years ago was that I was no longer allowed to visit with my then 2-yr old nephew. I didn't realize until Saturday that I now reserve myself around kids because it hurt too much to get to know my nephew's amazingness and then be told that I can't see him anymore, so now I hold back from getting to know any kids. There's some layers to explore there, to be sure.)