I remember the first time I was in their house. The furnishings so pulled-together and the colors soothing– I especially remember the swaying, swinging, clackety-clacking of the the beads that hung in the doorway between the entry and the living room (this was the 70’s, you know). My 4 year old self could have stood there for hours just running my hand back and forth through them, feeling their smoothness and watching their percussive, fluid dance.
I was mesmerized. It seemed like a whole new world, but yet it was right next door.
Our neighbor’s brick rancher was so different from the straight-forward, use-what-you-have-on-hand, transplanted mid-western simplicity that my parents had created in our split-level, one house down on the left.
I’m sure you have a place in your past like this one, too–although yours is probably a bit different. The memory may be a bit fuzzy around the edges, but I am sure you remember how it felt to be standing in that space–a room or house that spoke to you, took over your senses, and made you realize that not everybody’s house looked just like yours.
When we are little, we are joyfully prone to awe and wonderment. With our life experiences being limited, we are more open to being swept away or taken in by a new sensory experience. Environments can make a lasting impression on us and subconsciously still affect how we live in our homes today. I learned all about this on a very personal level a few years ago.
We are not always aware of it as adults, but environments are still speaking to us, and making us feel certain ways. The most meaningful spaces help us to know more about the people who live in them, and also help the people they shelter each day to express who they are and what they are working towards in their lives.
That space from our childhood was a memorable one, wasn’t it? It made us feel things, it made us see things differently. What about the rooms we live in today? I hope that they, too, fill you with good feelings, help others to know you better, and nurture you–making your dreams feel more possible.
If so, who knows! Maybe some little person will be filled with awe and wonder the first time they come through YOUR front door, and as a result see the world as a much bigger and more fascinating place. 🙂
