In This House

(A version of this story first appeared on March 1, 2023 on The Heart of The Matter.)

My wife has a simple wall hanging that she picked up on sale from Target or TJ Maxx or some home goods store. I’m not good at guessing prices, but I can’t imagine that she paid much for it, maybe $20 to $40. It’s about 10 x 20 long and hangs above our television set in our living room. 

There’s not much to the decoration — just a frame and a few words — but I find that when I sit down in the evening, it’s become a habit of mine to look at the sign and reflect on the good and bad that happened in my day. 

The words are simple: 

In this house, we do mistakes. 

We do fun.

We do I’m sorry. 

We do hugs. 

We do second chances. 

Image by Pexels.

I think automatically on how I spent my day. Was I authentic with others, did I let my guard down, and have any fun? Did I admit when I was wrong? We race through our day. We rarely say we’re sorry and, when we do, our apologies can come across as half-hearted and less than heart-warming to others.

Did I give anyone else a second chance? As strange as it may sound to me, where do I need to offer myself grace and a second chance? I think too about who I’ve hugged that day. Did I give and get a hug from my wife? They are the hugs that refuel me and give me the energy to fight another day.

The wall hanging continues: 

We do family. 

We do happy. 

We do real. 

I think about our three grown kids, how they are doing, and when I’ve heard from them last? My family means everything to me. I get an image of each of my children in my head and say a prayer of thanks for putting them in my life. I’m lucky to have a family that loves me and thinks about me. They might get mad at me for being annoying sometimes and for checking up on them, but they still love me.

Image by Pexels.

We do really loud. 

We do forgiveness. 

We do love. 

When I reflect on the wall hanging in the evening, my wife is usually sitting next to me and I’ll grab her hand and tell her that I love her. Finally, I’ll think gratefully on my extended family, friends and everyone in my life. I’ll think on who needs a call or text. 

When I go back to the rest of my night, I feel happy and blessed. I usually feel a peace and calm too that had been missing. 

Oh yes, it’s a simple wall hanging, not all that special or unique, but whatever we paid for it, we didn’t pay enough. In my eyes, it’s priceless.

What are simple things in your home that are priceless to you?