Who says you can't go home?

Home is such an irreplaceable feeling... There is a sense of tranquility, peace and deep comfort here that no other place in the world evokes.

It's funny because growing up in a tiny town in the middle of Iowa may have felt a little bit oppressive at the time... but coming back 10 years later I realize just how lucky I was to be raised here.

What an amazing feeling of community this place has... a place where people all truly care about each other... they want to know about you, and you about them. You find that you can relate on so many unspoken levels, and making genuine conversation with friends or complete strangers seems effortless. These experiences are so hard to come by elsewhere in the world, yet day after day you find them happening at home.

This past week has been such a beautiful one, reminding very clearly that the answer is yes, you can go home.

Wabi Sabi...

I came across the most interesting article about the principle of Wabi Sabi, in Whole Living magazine... the subject line said --
Simple strategies for embracing imperfection.

The article describes the Japanese philosophy as a way of celebrating beauty in what is natural -- flaws and all.
Wabi Sabi is the Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience... sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete"... which is a concept derived from the Buddhist assertion of the 3 marks of existence.
The article explains that Wabi is literally translated as simplicity, and Sabi is the beauty of age and wear. It's about embracing and really appreciating the beauty of what is natural... Freedom to accept the imperfect world. Reading that lots of images immediately come to mind. Perfectly well-worn old jeans... rustic wood floors... hand-me-down mismatched dishes with delicate floral borders... faded hand written letters and postcards... a lovingly salvaged kitchen table spray painted bright yellow by my dad in the barn...

Authenticity is a main theme of this principle...uncovering what is distinctive about you and highlighting that. Wabi sabi encourages thought and purpose behind each object. In order to truly appreciate what we have, we should find it beautiful and useful. Thus creating an environment of tranquility & harmony... then allowing that to flow into all areas of your life.