Over the weekend, I was listening to an older Greg Brown album and was inspired.  The particular song that got me thinking was If You Don’t Get It at Home, if you’re not familiar with that particular song, the chorus is basically this, “if you don’t get it at home you’re going to go looking.”  “It” in the song is love.  I got to thinking about everything else we going looking for if we don’t find those things at home.

Think about it, as a society, everything we go looking for: nutrition, love, acceptance, faith, education, etc.  The list goes on and on, and we go looking for it in a variety of ways from shopping to drugs, from cults to sex, and everything in between.  I realize, many folks have homes that are full of unspeakable horrors and those inside have to look elsewhere to find what they need to fill up.  So, how I can help those folks?  How can I make sure those inside my home, get what they need and don’t go looking?

I know that Jeff and I both, find our home to be a refuge from the world.  It is a place of peace, comfort, and love not just for us, but also for everyone who comes visiting.  We strive to have a place that people enjoy being and I know that we’ve succeeded simply by the number of people who feel comfortable enjoying a meal and then taking a nap on our couch.  People feel comfortable to just drop by without calling first, I count these as blessings (most of the time), and am glad people think of us as great company and dependable friends.  Both Jeff and I love being at home, there simply is no other place we’d rather be most of the time, and even those times when we do want to be somewhere else, we quickly look forward to getting back home.  I feel pretty confident those people in my home, get their fill and won’t have to go looking elsewhere for it, however; I know that I must be vigilant in making sure to keep the home full of love and joy.

How can I help those folks who don’t get these things at home?  I’ve spent some time over the last few days thinking about this, in depth.  I do believe, that my primary responsibility and focus should be on my home, however; I’m not a hermit so I do have contact with lots of people.  I’m going to make it part of my focus, to bring home with me whenever I leave my home and go out into the world.  I can carry a welcoming, loving attitude with me at all times.  I can be sure to bring those manifestations of home to gatherings or as surprises and gifts, in the form of meals, bread, treats, offers of just idle chit chat, gardening help and more.  Can I help everyone?  No, I’m a realist.  Can I help stop a hurting soul from turning to drugs or some other harmful choice?  Maybe, I can’t and won’t underestimate the power and impact of a kind word or simply taking the time to care enough to listen.  I also believe that the sense of home can be very healing.

Maybe, just maybe, I can help others create a home that is a place of comfort and not one they have to leave to find what they need.  Maybe, just maybe, I can encourage people to make their home, theirs, and a place that is nutritious to their hearts, minds, and souls, even if they live there alone.  I’m an idealist and a dreamer to be sure, but I do believe I can make a difference, and it seems that home and homemaking (even if not in the most traditional “homemaking” sense) are becoming the callings of my life.  More than anything, I believe most people feel disconnected and alone these days, and if I can spread these feelings home, perhaps I can help people feel less alone and in turn spread that around a little more.