Haven

Haven. 

A haven is a place of safety or refuge. For most of us our home is our natural haven. In fact Sally and Sarah Clarkson in their book, The Life Giving Home, refer to home as, "Home is the haven of inspiration where the art of life is expressed and taught." 

It seems today, though, that we spend a lot of time away from our homes. Between work, and dinners out, and social obligations often home becomes more of a place to shower and sleep. After retiring from full time teaching I found myself with more time on my hands, and more time at home. 

The interesting thing, however, for me was that I found I didn't really mind being at home. Even the daily tasks that needed to be done around the house seemed more enjoyable when they were not done on the fly. I found home to be a place to cultivate new hobbies and interests. Although, I enjoyed getting out and doing things, I found myself happy to be home again. 

I love their term, "art of life." It seems to elevate our daily living to something so much deeper than a to-do list. In our attempts to do it all, it might be better to slow down and embrace all that our home has to offer.