5 Minute Friday: Welcome

Okay -- I'm new to this, but I'll give it a try at the very least. I recently discovered a community of bloggers that participate in Five Minute Friday as a way to encourage and bless each other and it looks like fun! So, here goes...

the prompt is Welcome:

Go!

My first thoughts are of home and how anyone and everyone was (and still is) welcome there. No matter what. Often, my parents didn't even notice an extra person at the table until halfway through dinner. We just brought people home because it was a safe haven, a place where you just felt comfortable...and loved.

I remember earlier in my childhood I despaired at my 'friends' seeing our home. It was so imperfect, and I was embarrassed. We didn't have matching furniture, fancy drapes, spotless carpet or famous artwork. We did have pictures of loved ones, treasured drawings that my siblings had created, and most importantly -- acceptance and love. And I learned that those are the things that make a home.

Now I understand that it is easier to feel welcome in a place that is lived-in. No worries about mussing the throws on the couch, staining the carpet or accidentally knocking over an expensive vase. Instead, there is evidence that people have eaten recently and there is more to consume if one is interested. The blankets on the sofa may not be folded perfectly, but they are warm and ready to snuggle beneath. Yes, the pictures may be crooked...but that just gives more character.

That is my welcome home. Comfort. Love. Acceptance. Imperfect and sometimes messy, but oh what a beautiful mess it is!

Stop.