The ache for home rests deep in all of us.

The concept of home has been on my mind lately, but let's talk HOUSES for a minute. I read a stat the other day, which indicated that there are more real estate agents in the U.S. than houses for sale! My husband and I considered selling our house for a hot minute for a handful of reasons, but in the end we concluded that this house of ours means more to us than perhaps we had even realized. 

"A house is made of walls and beams, a home is made of love and dreams."  

-Ralph Waldo Emerson 

It's true - houses (or any place that we inhabit for shelter) are usually a mixture of drywall, plumbing, concrete, siding, paint, and overpriced furniture that ages with time. Our respective houses take many forms and our desires for them are highly personal: modern or traditional, city or suburb, new or fixer-upper and the list goes on. But whatever the condition or location of our house, our HOME is the place that we long for. I believe it's because of the people that pass through our doors, who we share those spaces with, and where we create our desires and dreams. I did a little self-reflection to see what came up for me when I thought of my home:

• Memories of birthday celebrations with our dearest friends and family (dare I say there was one event I considered even more memorable than my wedding?)

• The place where we brought our newborn boy home 12 years ago to raise him

• A gathering place for people near and far – from our neighbors, family and friends to all the special visitors we've been able to host from far-away places such as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Australia, France and more

• A safe place where all the emotions live daily - from struggles and love, to loss and laughter

I could go on, but there wouldn't be much in here about excitement over the times we've had to remulch the gardens, replace the aging siding, and install new flooring (ok, there might have been a little spark of joy at that point in time). All that said, we constantly seem to be spending time and money on the state of our houses. But what about the state of our "home?"

For some of us, maybe our home is just a house right now. There's no feeling of a safe haven, but chaos reigns supreme. There's no sense of family togetherness, but lots of walking on eggshells feels normal. When addiction, mental health and high-risk behaviors show up in our homes, we can feel shaken and unstable and in need of solid ground. Sure, the shelter of a home is serving its purpose, but the relationships and rituals that take place within our houses are in dire need of time and attention. 

If you need some guidance in this area to build stronger relationships in your home, take a closer look at the workshop listed below, or reach out to set up a private consultation. I'd love to help.