comfort soup.

Chili, Chicken noodle, Potato, Pumpkin, Taco, Tomato, Vegetable…

As summer comes to an end and the kids all go back to school. Our living changes, just like the seasons. Our bodies start craving warm bowls of yummy goodness, we add a one o’clock coffee date with our bestie, and pull out all the cozy sweaters from the bins tucked away in our closet since spring.

When the kids were younger our schedule was often a bit busier during the fall months leading right up to Christmas. Most days I’d have a crock pot full with a bubbly family favorite, hot and ready, after a busy day. Chili, chicken noodle, potato, pumpkin, taco, tomato, vegetable, or some un-named creation from whatever was found in the pantry. Add a little cream of chicken and voil’a- instant comfort! (we call it comfort soup around here) Add a warm piece of bread slathered in real butter and everyone thinks you’re the BEST MOM EVER!

Comfort and cozy aren’t all aesthetics and feelings. When we focus on the outward only, we miss what’s really important. Some days I did better at this than others.

“Present over perfect. Quality over quantity. Relationship over rushing. People over pressure. Meaning over mania”

Shauna Niequist, Present over perfect

If you haven’t read this delightful book you need to do yourself a favor and go do that…

…right now…

seriously…

What I wouldn’t give to go back to those fall nights and pay closer attention to the details. The sound of hearty-unrestrained laughter, the way they folded their hands while their daddy said grace, the smiles on their faces when dessert was served. I think I’d try a little harder not to rush through. Living fully in the moments I was given. Realizing it’s not about performance, but presence.

 Being intentional to take inventory of what the needs are for your family is important work.  

Creating an atmosphere of comfort in our homes looks different for each of us. From one house to the next, each household is unique and has its own personality. What is the same is that we all find our way back home at the end of the day, and we all need connection. Often the busyness of our days leave us emotionally spent and physically exhausted. Our tendency may be to withdraw, thinking we can’t possibly make one more decision or deal with one more person.

I get it.

The end goal for me has always been to cultivate a space that my family wants to come home to. A safe place. Understanding the power of using my home to provide community was a very practical way to love my family. Even on those long, hard days.

So whether it’s chili, chicken noodle, potato, pumpkin, taco, tomato, vegetable, or comfort soup in the crockpot tonight, savor the moments you’re in. 🧡