Yep, that's me above--probably around age three. :) The house behind me was the first home I ever lived in, located in Joppatown, MD. I lived in a total of four houses as I was growing up, and all of them had a lot in common--but the traits they shared may not be what you would expect. You see, while they were all "nice" middle class houses on the outside, the homes I lived in during my childhood were uncomfortable, cluttered places that never felt much like home at all.
There were a lot of reasons for this and a lot of complicating factors, but something that sticks with me to this day is the memory of my mother constantly overwhelmed: overwhelmed by a lot of stuff, overwhelmed by the day-to-day tasks of maintaining a home, overwhelmed by feeling "less than" because her house was not something she felt proud of or comfortable in….
As I have written about before, when my mother passed away from a brain tumor (she was only 46 years old, I was 18) my step-father and I were left with a house bursting with STUFF, including a guest room piled so high with papers and other items, the door into the room would barely open. Her closet was filled with clothes still with tags on many of them-- awaiting a "special day" that never came.
I started my adult life longing to create an inviting, comfortable, safe place to call home--without ever having learned how to do so during my formative years, and weighed down by the possessions of both of my parents' lifetimes. However, I have been able to create just such a thing for myself (you can read more about that here), and now I am so blessed to be able to do the same thing for my clients.
Next week my Love Your House Now Course gets underway. If lack of order around your house weighs on you, if you feel smothered by everyone else's (children's, parent's, husband's) possessions, if you wonder if you will ever be able to "get it together" and create an orderly, nurturing home, this course is just for you.
I know a few things about you--I know that you are a loving, creative, devoted person, and you probably have tried many times to get things organized and pulled-together, but you aren't sure why none of it has ever really worked. You would love to feel proud of where you live, but you aren't sure at all how to make that happen.
What I know most of all about you is that you deserve a lovely, nurturing house that reflects the kind, smart person that you are, and also supports the life you most want to live. I want you to know that achieving that is truly possible.
If I could go back in time, I would give my mother and the young girl I was then so much love and understanding--and I would share with them that each day is worth celebrating. No more saving 'for good.' Today is the day, and living in a home that lifts your heart and supports you and those you love with order and beauty is a way to live each day to the fullest.
Today is the day.
If you would like more information about Love Your House Now Course, please write to me at: erin@revealingredesign.com. Don't delay! There are only a few more days to sign up!
