Yesterday was a long day. After dinner I headed upstairs, opened my bedroom door, walked in, and got that, "Ahhhh minute". You know the one.
Once I am dressed for the day and downstairs, unless I am putting something away in my room, I rarely venture back in there. I close the door to spare my, killer-clearance-price-Target-bedspread from sticky toddler hands and smelly dogs, causing the room to get the full benefit of air conditioning, and the scent of shampoo and shower gel from my morning shower. It just mingles in there, so when you open the door and walk in... "Ahhh". Purely wonderful. Almost retreat like. Nothing to do with the chaos one floor below, even if the stinky dogs follow me in (eyeballing my, killer-clearance-price-Target-bedspread).
I only had a minute to freshen up the last night before I had to run off for a meeting. So, I just stood there for a second and took it in. It didn't matter that the chair held a basket of laundry to be folded, or that my shoes were sitting by the closet door, anxious to get in there. It was my place.
That is what I want for my kiddos. The ones I produced from my body, but especially the ones we adopted. I want them to walk in the house and know that it is their place, their "safe place", and that all is right with the world when they step over that threshold.