“Welcome Home”
- Gaynell Instefjord
- Gaynell Instefjord
Discovering Home
When a person visualizes “home” it is a very personal and unique image so it’s impossible to know what homes means to another person without asking that person directly. While interviewing hundreds of people about their vision of home I’ve found that I can never guess what holds the deepest meaning for them. Have you taken the time to think about what it is that holds the deepest meaning for you when you consider the meaning of home?
A few years ago I was visiting my friend Doug Greenwood at his home in New Canaan. He had just completed some remodeling and as we talked it was grand to watch his eyes dance with excitement. I’ll never forget the words that spilled from his lips as he said, “This is my place in the world.”
I’ve spent quite a bit of personal time with Doug so I know that his sense of place is more than just the structure he lives in. His sense of place engulfs the entire community and is centered on the relationship he has with his family, friends and work associates. It is these people combined with the place that have created a wonderful home for Doug and his family.
Doug’s home is surrounded by huge trees and they create a sense of privacy, wonder and majesty. All those trees are awe inspiring to me since I live in a place with very few trees. In fact, I like to joke with Doug that at my house I can watch my dog run away for three weeks since there are no trees to obstruct the view.
And, that’s an important point! It is vital to make sure that our internal view of home remains unobstructed. After all, it’s all too easy to forget what the core of home means to you and that it changes as life marches on.
When I first met Gaynell Instefjord her sense of home was much different than it is today. What changed? Perhaps the single largest change is that she has become a grandmother! Not more than three weeks ago I was talking with Gaynell and she taught me an important lesson as she described an experience she had with her Granddaughter.
Gaynell’s granddaughter took her by the hand and asked her to sit with her toe to toe, feet to feet, facing each other with their legs spread apart. Then her granddaughter took an object and moved it from between their legs and put it to her side. Over and over again this delightful girl lifted and then shifted the item from place to place smiling as she went. Then, in an explosion of pure joy she looked up and said, “I did it!”
Gaynell said to me that the “joy of accomplishment” has now been revealed is a central component of her meaning of home. Her granddaughter has forever changed her feelings of home and has revealed a different perspective to the phrase, “the road home.” The road home means that the journey to home never really ends. It’s just enhanced by new people, places and experiences.
I am interviewing people to discover what home means to them. I’ve already interviewed hundreds of people and I always start by asking them to describe their “ideal home.” I invite you to take a few minutes to think about your life journey and how your view of home has changed. It will be an amazing experience for you.
So, describe your ideal home! List what is important to you. Identify the sights and sounds. See, love and cherish the people that make a difference in your life. The trick is to simply look and listen to what’s inside you now. It’s all there you know!
Home is the center of life for all of us and I wish for you know exactly where and what your place of home is so you can enjoy the pleasure of being welcomed home now, and in the future! I would love to interview you so we can discover what home means to you. Call or email me so we can schedule a time to enjoy a conversation about your journey on the road home together.
