housewarming
This weekend, we welcomed friends into our new home to help warm up it. With boxes still in need of unpacking, and a shortage of glasses, our friends brought their own glassware. We pushed crates together to make a coffee table. We threw together charcuterie boards and ordered pizza. The kids created their own world, pranking us, grabbing snacks, making piles of origami creations.
When we first bought our home, I focused on all of the repairs and improvements it needed. Even after the major projects were complete, my critical mind continued to find countless things to improve. But as our home came alive with the presence of our guests, and their collective energy, I noticed a profound shift in my perspective. Through the act of hosting my friends and family, my home felt perfect. Even after everyone left, as my husband and I hand-washed dishes because the dishwasher needed repairing, we were relaxed, happy, and grateful in our home. The physical appearance of it suddenly mattered very little—it was the life we were beginning to build within its walls—the very essence of our home, that we appreciated.
This got me thinking about the way I might be treating my first and always home: my body. Over the years, I’ve scrutinized every aspect of it—wanting a little improvement here and big improvements there—often overlooking the remarkable gift it is, just as it is. With my body, I can savor the first breath of fresh air in the morning, noticing the morning chill invigorating my lungs, connecting me to the all of the life around me. With my body, I feel the warmth and the exchange of energy in every hug with my daughter. I can welcome countless experiences to be enjoyed and processed. It’s within the vessel of my body that the essence of my life thrives and evolves.
As winter arrives, aligning with the water element in Chinese medicine, it invites us to reconnect with our true essence by turning inward. Just as we create warmth and life within the walls of our home, so too can we nurture and honor our beautiful bodies.
