"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill.
I love this quote. It thoroughly sums up my life right now. Two years ago I never could have imagined that circumstances in life would change, and cause us to uproot from Gopher Hill Place. But that is exactly what has happened, and it has been difficult to let it go. Dominique Browning wrote,"How deeply charged a subject home is. We invest our homes with such hope, such dreams, such longing for love, security, a good life --sure, making a home is a materialistic endeavor. But it is often, maybe usually, undertaken with intense spiritual energy. We yearn to live in a house full of love, happiness, passion, and peace, too. We yearn for domestic bliss." I had domestic bliss at Gopher Hill. It was love at first sight for both myself and my husband. It was a dream come true. A home filled with wonderful memories. Children, grandchildren, weddings in the backyard, break-the-fast at our house the first Sunday of the month, family gatherings in the dining room. I still love the feeling of the place. Recently, with the house up for sale in a dismal housing market, I have spent the last couple of months wandering through the shell of our home. Boxes of our belongings line the walls in every room waiting for a new place to go. The air seems to hold the accusation of failure. None of us wanted to leave this place, but we have to move forward. I guess today I'm just in a reflective mood. A home is more than a shelter. A home expresses a person's life and the state of their heart.