PORTRAITS OF HOME: Part 3

I have learned that home isn’t just a place of residence but can also be a place where my heart is.  I get to choose where and why I feel the emotions of joy, comfort, security, peace, happiness and love.  

Taylor once worked a few months away from our family in Washington State.  Because I love him, I love the place he temporarily called “home”.  Those feelings were intensified as we visited that beautiful state last year.  I will ALWAYS feel at home when we are together,

I also choose to feel at home when I am near special family members like my grandmother, cousins, and in-laws.  My mother-in-law, Mary, is one of these special people. Not just because she is Taylor’s mother but because she has a beautiful heart that loves everyone including me. Mary loves her Georgia home and, because of that, so do I.

Near the end of the year, I solidified my thoughts that home is also where my children and friends are.  We spent the Christmastime in Nevada, laughing, cooking, eating, playing games and having fun outside.  Sharing a Christmas Sunset with my daughter at Valley of Fire State park was a favorite experience. It was a magical, joyous evening!!! These happy memories, miles away from our house in Texas, also feel like home to me.

Though I’ve spent time in the company of family and friends in many states during the last year, I have also had hours to myself out in nature with only my thoughts and my camera.  Last summer I felt compelled to deepen my understanding of myself and, consequently, my photography by taking a solo trip to New Mexico. I strengthened my photography skills but, even more importantly, I learned to love all of my thoughts, I learned how to feel peace and comfort alone, and I learned I can feel the joy and happiness of my home – anywhere.