Jan
Home & Hearth
Today is a very cold one. The ground is hard, and there are slippery spots on the driveway. The little bit of remaining snow crackles if you walk on it.
Inside the house, it is warm and comfortable. Today our heat is provided by mechanical systems. It may be the product of natural gas or oil. Only a couple generations ago, coal furnaces were the norm. Before that, it was the individual hearth. In the days prior to central heating, the hearth room was the warm part of the home. Everyone gathered there to stay warm. It was the heart of the home.
One has to wonder: has the television in the living room replaced the hearth?
Heat alone does not create a heart in the home. That is done by the people who live there. Indeed, a home resonates with the feelings of its inhabitants. A happy family makes for a happy feeling in the home. A dismal one does the opposite. Emotions, attitude and dominant feelings permeate the walls. A home reflects those who live there.
On these cold days when home is a refuge from freezing nights, it is good to remember that we leave an imprint on the places where we abide. Our homes hum with the feelings we give them. Part of their comfort is the reflection of ourselves that we find in our homes.
