Taking Time For Tea & Love

So, after being away for a few days, one does have to come home and get things back in order. There is laundry to be done, things to be put away, Corgis to be bathed again. Yes, there is bathing even after a show to get any chalk that was blown around the grooming area out of their coats! My 'Make your house a home' challenge today was to actually stop in the midst of a cleaning spree and take time to have tea with my daughter. Sometimes, making your house a home is just as much about what you don't do, as it is about what you do. For me, if the house is basically clean, dinner is planned and everyone has clean clothes, it is OK (really, it is) for everything on my list not to be perfectly accomplished. It is OK to let some things go until tomorrow, or the next day. I find it is extremely important to keep priorities in mind and make my day reflect those priorities. There is something sacred about setting out pretty tea cups and pulling up a chair to carve out a pause from schoolwork, housework, artwork, etc. and being truly present for those we love. If I find things start to get too hectic around me, I try and pull back and ask myself that if I were to be called up to heaven today, what would I want my last day to be like? What would I be leaving behind for my loved ones? Would I regret not having spent time that day with them? It always helps me to find that balance between keeping the house organized and spending time with those I love. When I don't feel much like doing housework, I try and remember that every act of cleaning and organizing frees up the entire household to be with each other. Who wants to spend time in a mess when a fresh and clean house is so much more relaxing and inviting? I'd much rather spend 30 minutes having tea with my daughter than spend 30 minutes looking for a missing shoe or a clean towel or an important paper. Balance and priorities. Two things that I hope I will always remember to remember.-CS ^..^