The three of us have a home for every season. We’re not incredibly wealthy nor do we have inherited real estate. Our modest townhome simply changes with the weather.
When it’s warm, the living room smells of swimsuits and sunscreen. There are popsicles in the freezer. Nate and I take naps earlier in the day. As the weather cools, the beach towels are replaced with coats. More blankets are piled on the bed and space heaters carried from room to room.
Winter is here.
One day this week, Nate and I were enjoying a quieter-than-usual afternoon at home in what has turned into our winter living room. Downstairs, it’s cold and hard to heat, so we usually end up in the upstairs office with the space heater. Nate was playing with a toy dollhouse and pulling his usual three year old tricks, which means asking me every question he can think of 30 times. “What’s this, mommy? What's this?” I listened the radio while finishing up some Christmas gifts. He moved his cars onto the gift wrapping box. “It’s a car crash.” The day had nothing planned, just little things like crafting and playing. These days are the best, the days that life just is.
It’s not traditional family kitchen or warm hearth, but this little gray-painted office, with its LEGO decor and free armchair, has all the necessities: books, toys, and outlets for laptops. This little room is the heart of our winter home.
I’m a firm believer that home is the best place. If you put a little love into the place where you are sheltered, it will become a place you treasure and love. Daniel and I have moved a lot since we’ve been married, but each home was ours. It had our mark on its walls (often quite literally) and it was where we were the best us. Our current home, the first that is truly ours, is far from perfect. My repair list grows longer every month and I still can’t look at the crooked bathroom light without flinching.
But in other ways, it’s perfect. It has a large loft for our son to run around freely, which is what he needs when it’s cold outside. It has a simple layout for busy lives. And now, our home glows a bit more than usual. The Christmas tree is lit, the decorations are brighter. The heat is on.
This is the best place. This is where we will spend our winter together.