feels like home.

For as long I can remember my grandparents had the sweetest little cedar cabinet tucked in a corner filled with family photos and treasured knickknacks. As an anniversary gift my aunt had a photograph of their wedding day printed onto a plate and grandma always placed it right in the center of the cabinet, reflecting the life and love she and grandpa shared. I have fond memories of standing in front of it studying their faces. They were so young. He was so handsome. She was so Beautiful. They felt like home.

We hauled that corner cabinet from one house to the next as her lifestyle changed. Once again she filled those shelves with an assortment of photographs, mostly her grandchildren and great-grands. Their wedding plate rightfully placed square in the middle. She knew her space wasn’t complete without the things that felt like home.

The night before grandma’s memorial service a few of us gathered and went through her photos. I stood there broken-hearted yet full with gratitude as I watched another generation take comfort in the scenes they held between their fingers. Family reunions, Easter egg hunts, newborn babies… all so familiar, because grandma had kept them available in her home. There was hardly a flat surface that didn’t display one of these framed treasures. Bed-side tables, the refrigerator, the corner cabinet… all held space for the people she loved, they felt like home.

I believe that my grandmother spoke blessings over our family as she surrounded us with memories. We were able to connect with the generations before us through these living pieces of paper. While she may not have been conscience of it along the way, the love for the people in her life created an atmosphere full with joy and commitment to family. Through these photos we were learning how to live and love. I aspire to do the same. I now have Grandma’s corner cabinet, it feels like sacred space to me. It feels like home.

Our homes are meant to be expressions of who we are, what we love, who we share it with…

“ Mamaw and Papaw Parker”