homecentric

there is no doubt about it, having a home is better than not having one. we have been experiencing a week of impromptu homelessness thanks to some floor refinishing gone awry, resulting in our house REEKING of toxic fumes for nearly 7 days. i hardly have room to complain, i know, since we do in fact have a house to call our own and the problem was of our own making. but nonetheless, i've been moaning and groaning and a tad ornery because the whole deal has been pretty trying. we have been lucky to have had other places to land (thank you Bev and Nile and Dad!) but i've felt a real sense of purposelessness without my home. i think so much of what i'm about these days is tied to embracing being home and relishing the comforts and sense of daily routine this creates. i would go so far as to say that my current philospohy about simplfying my life and my wants could be summed up as being homecentric. i differentiate this idea from being an agoraphobe or a misanthrope because the desire and urge to be home has nothing to do with avoiding other people or society at large but more to do with me taking control over my own time, my values, and my daily schedule.

the last 9 months have taught me that for the most part staying in seems to breed contentment. my kids don't seem to miss being shuttled to and fro and they get lots of free time to play and create. my bank balance is happier when i don't go out and shop needlessly and this in turn makes my marriage more peaceful. the physical home around me looks better because i have more time to keep it tidy and organized. i feel more creative because i make the time to write, read, and work on projects. my family eats better because i cook more and eat out less. i feel better because i'm spending the kind of quality time with my family that i think is key for happy little souls and minds and this makes me feel like i take the job of being a mother and a partner seriously and i like that. becoming homecentric has been a huge epiphany for me over the course of the last year and something that this week away has laid plain all over again. though the week has been a tough one, i'm grateful for the reminder that home is where i want to be. especially a home with shiny, glossy, luscious new floors!!