Home Sweet Home. Life is a kaleidoscope of colours, unexpected and beautiful by Tina Y. Gerber

This lockdown period has given us more time than we’ve ever had. We had a self-lockdown period, due to a family member having been exposed to covid-19. Barring the actual covid experience, it was fun at first, completing projects, keeping busy, then laziness reared its ugly head.

Has anyone ever felt your home may be an ugly duckling? They say our homes are an extension of who we are. This affects everything from our mood to our productivity and even influences our outlook on life. We have been renovating our home for the last seven years, and I think the home improvements to-do list is getting on my last nerve!

I have learnt, feeling content at home is something everyone can experience, no matter the size of their home, even during these long winter months, especially during lockdown over the last two years. It doesn’t matter the size of your home or the condition of your space: from a room in the nursing home to a beautiful lakefront property. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Feeling content at home will allow you to appreciate deeper and have a greater awareness of where you reside. Use your senses, and identify the pleasures your home evokes, from a comfortable couch to the smell of a roast in the oven.

It’s been hard not being able to travel. When returning home from vacation, one can hardly wait to open their front door. Life is always about looking on the bright side. Sometimes, it’s all about perspective and what comforts and supports you. Turn a negative around and make it something good. Your home should be a gallery of positive memories.

We have attempted to utilize every available space, from building a washer and dryer into the kitchen design or including a flower garden around our deck; which is still a work in progress. I will treasure the memories and laughter Martin and I have experienced, since the journey began and the hours of sharing ideas and talking into the wee hours of the morning. It is not necessary to spend a fortune, it’s better to focus on what’s important for your immediate needs.

Since retirement, I have been babysitting, completing crafts/projects, writing, and going on brief walks, but there are so many more things we all can accomplish. I have put some things aside until spring, like going through my photo albums to give to the children, continuing to de-clutter, deciding what projects I want to complete, playing games with the grandchildren, and reading to them. Spring is just around the corner.

I was interested to learn about Swedish Death Cleaning during the lockdown. Swedish death cleaning is the practice of paring down and organizing all of your belongings before you die. One of the advantages of Swedish death cleaning is it makes the decision process easier for your family after you pass away. I suppose this ties into de-cluttering your home while you are alive, which would make life easier for the family. You then will have more time to focus on the things which matter the most and enjoy a more restful home environment.

#column #Seniors #tinaygerber