What do these two photos have in common? Other than being doors, of course. These two vastly different images are the entrances to my little home, and guess which one gets used the most?I recently had a visitor who brought me one of those great aha moments. I love epiphanies. I love insightful guests. She entered the house through the back door and her immediate question was, “Is this your Welcome Home entrance?” Those words hit me hard. “Yes, I park and go through the…” Ooops. A discussion ensured about not treating myself as good as my guests and, whereas I hadn’t even noticed this disparity before, now can’t get it out of my mind. How could you possibly hide your eyes from that collection of garage stuff? Believe me, this is merely the tip of a very large garage iceberg. And I know I’m not alone. Homeowners everywhere can relate.
I’ve worked hard to make sure the front entrance welcomes whomever approaches, and it isn’t me most of the time. As she pointed out, “Your guests are more welcome in your home than you are.” What? This is crazy, but I know it’s normal. Most homeowners spruce up the front porch and then use the backdoor when they come home. Sort of like using the servant’s entrance.I’ve always known that the entrance to anything is important but forgot to ask myself “which entrance?” The one you use all the time is the important one. Let’s see, nothing says Welcome Home like the sight of the hot water heater, furnace, washer/dryer, recycle bin, broom, filthy walls and cobwebs. Got it. But the dilemma has me baffled. I really don’t want to walk around partitions to do the laundry.
My husband and I certainly want our home to welcome us. We both realize that this sanctuary can reset your stress-o-meter by scooping you in and propping you up from a very bad day. One thing is clear as I ponder the difference in these photos; we work hard to make our home the coziest it can be and I’m not going to let this snafu stand in my way.