I must confess that I am a homebody. If you told me that I could only leave the “old homeplace” one time a year for a few hours, I would probably be just fine with that. I am not a lover of travel or big adventures. I am a self-proclaimed hobbit. I am content to sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and watch the chickens and the kids play while a loaf of sourdough bread bakes in the oven. I am perfectly happy digging in the dirt of the garden and canning tomatoes. I love nothing more than making my own cleaners and deep cleaning every spot in the house. I take my job as a home keeper very seriously, and I think every other woman should as well.

See, in my opinion, the beauty of home is that it is a safe-haven for all who enter. My husband always says that it has been the joy of his adult life to be able to leave the worries of the outside world behind when he pulls into our driveway. I always tried to rally the kids before he got home by saying, “Daddy’s coming home!!!! He’ll be here any minute!!! YAY!!!” They would be cheering at the door, “DADDY! DADDY!” when they were little, and he almost tears up when he thinks about all those “little kid” years now. I always tried (and still do) to make sure when he walked through that door there was a good-smelling, hot meal waiting for him. Our home was picked up and clean, and our table was set. All he had to do was change clothes, wash hands, let out a deep breath of the day, and relax with us. ….Creating a safe, cozy home like this was the dream of my life, and in this, I am confident that I am a success, even if it isn’t necessarily what the world outside would consider as such.

All of this to say: I encourage you, young women, to create a home that is a safe space for your entire family. Slow down, start family traditions, turn off the TV (or throw it away lol), put down your phone… You will never regret it. The beauty of home begins with YOU!!

Thanks for reading!