Home

At dinner the other night I couldn't help noticing all the little, insignificant things that make our home, well, homey, and personal. Most of them either taken for granted or despised as 'broken'.

Here is what I came up with, some of them are specific to this house, others are not.

1. The hall doors that rattle every time you shut an outside door.
2. The squeak of the floor right in front of mom and dad's room if you're not careful to step one foot on either side of the threshold, grasp the handle while you've still got your balance, push the door open and jump!
3. The tall red candle glowing brightly - fastened in the middle by a large piece of scotch tape.
4. Lots of little Lego men scattered across the hearth by the wood stove dotted liberally with other Lego-creations.
5. Masking tape holding the corner of the counter in place
6. The tiny grooves etched in the corner cupboard door from twenty-five years of pulling the drawers out and pushing them back in - with the door only partially open. wood carvings must be edible.
7. Half essays and random sentences and drawings on the tabletop because someone pushed a little too hard on their pencil lead.
8. Tape (again) holding the movie stand doors shut so Lena won't get inside.
9. Love notes appearing on the counter from and for various and sundry persons of the household.

1. School books literally covering the dining room table during lunch, forcing us to eat in the kitchen.

1. Everyone dancing wildly around in the kitchen way too late to a fun song up just a little too loud (can you guess mom and dad aren't at home?)

Live. Laugh. Love.

I always used to think that was a cliche, but somewhere, buried among the over-use, is some real meaning I think.

Thoughtful.

Jordan Elizabeth