Friday, September 30, 2011

Simple Pleasures

Today marks the fourteenth day that we've walked the indoor, carpeted stairs up into the rooms we now call home. Having not fully settled in but inching closer with each passing day, I'm stopping to reflect briefly on what we gained anew when one door closed and another opened.



















A front door with an outdoor entrance--not an enclosed hallway of multiple doors hiding neighbors you only see by chance--is so refreshing. It makes our ApartmentHome feel like a house. To some? Insignificant. To me? A small touch that's not overlooked by my heart.


Fresh air breezes, natural light and the sounds of life outside are just a few of my favorite things, and all are provided by a large window next to our balcony door. In our former place of rest, a lone balcony door was all the access we had to these gifts. Here, a single window, properly placed, delivers revelation on how many of these simple pleasures I took for granted.

In each city I've called home since moving to Texas in 2006, a fireplace has filled a portion of our living room. When moving to NRH--our place of financial protection--a fireplace was one amenity we had to choose to go without because it was an additional cost we couldn't justify when downsizing our budget. And now, in a season of expansion in so many areas of our life, we're blessed beyond measure to once again enjoy this gift of warmth, beauty and romance.

For me, sitting on our balcony is akin to taking a bubble bath. It's my place to read, relax and take refuge for fifteen minutes or an hour. Where others are rejuvenated through human contact, my heart and mind are recharged in moments of solitude. This secondary door to the balcony from my bedroom allows me private access . With living room blinds closed, I can sneak outside and find solace in my red recliner.

Warm colors are as much comfort to my soul as a steaming, black cup of espresso roast coffee on a chilled morning. I smile every time my feet touch the spaces where carpeting ends and hard floor begins. It looks like nature. Nature pricks my heart with joy.

Simple pleasures. They are just a shift in perspective.

1 comment:

  1. This blog made me smile. I want to try this today. Taking account for the simple pleasures of the day. Hmmm...starting now.

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