Bless Our Home

30 Jul Bless Our Home

Looking back at some photos yesterday, I realized I never posted about something we did as a family in our new addition.  I think any time you move into a home, or build a home, of course, you want your family to be happy there, to be safe, to be healthy.  Home blessings are an ancient tradition performed throughout the world by those who consider themselves spiritual and those in organized religions.  Purely symbolic, it is simply an outpouring of what you hope for your family and your life there.

Gathering choruses, poems, and verses that were meaningful to me, I wrote them all over the wood frame and floor of our addition.  Each word transmitting a hope, each line transferring a special meaning for us.

Of course, we wanted to involve the kids.   It was a great way to show them and talk with them about what we are striving for as parents, and as a family.  I wrote down some characteristics on a piece of paper for them to copy down.  {pardon the swimsuits, this is pretty much their outfit of choice in the summer}

They also had fun drawing some pictures.  This is supposed to be our family.

You can find lots of house blessings online, but I particularly like this Irish blessing which I wrote on the top beam in the addition.

I had never heard of the Catholic home blessings until I was looking for inspiration, but I really like how they have blessings for each room.  The physical act of writing these words was a nice refresher and a good reminder of our purpose as a family.

Does anyone else feel like they need a reset button every once in awhile?

I think every family has hopes and dreams and goals and intentions, but unfortunately, real life gets in the way.  It can be so easy to forget the big picture amongst mistakes and unforeseen issues and changes.  I was so touched by the simple pictures the kids drew when I told them to draw whatever came into their minds – our family, trees, ice cream, lots of smiling faces.  Such pure thoughts.  I was a little sad to see their illustrations being slowly covered, but I will always know they are there.

May you have a happy day, keeping sight of the big picture.