Guest post by Mary. E., milspouse

Once in a while, a lucky star will shine on us and we will have a “good mail day”. By this I mean a surprise will land in our mailbox that is beyond a bill or a weekly grocery store ad. For example, the other day a fun-filled holiday catalog was nestled in our mailbox. This publication was brimming with colorful images of toys and games and gadgets. Paging through, I could almost imagine a child looking over the items, picking out their “must-have’s” and dreaming of what Santa Claus might actually wrap up! 

Receiving this postal mail treat filled my mind with visions from ye olde adolescence. Even though I was a youngin’ many moons ago, it seems funny how I can vividly recall certain childhood moments. For example, I can almost smell the cookies my dear Grandma was baking while I was sitting cross-legged in a favorite chair, browsing page by page through her chunky Sears & Roebuck catalog.

Memories that warm my heart tend to come along often as the December calendar turns to the glad tidings of Christmas and towards welcoming the New Year ahead.

How about you? What heartwarming moments do you recall when you sit and think of spending the holidays with family and friends?

Similar to random things that come along and trigger special memories, when a person is on the hunt for a new house there might be details with the property that bring about heartfelt recollections. Allow me to bend your ear for a spell - 

• Mini confession: When browsing online, I often click on the links to property tours!

  
  

With this in mind, I was recently following along on a “let’s-just-take-a-look” virtual tour and the camera was panning a room with (tasteful) wall paper in a bold pattern. Initially, the decor in the guest quarters was all kinds of “Nope” for my liking. However, when I put away my “Judgemental Judy” side and handed over the keys to an open mind, my imagination took me on a creative drive. I began thinking of how the unique wall covering could stir happy memories. 

To explain my thought process, I’ll set the scene like it’s a Hallmark movie. Picture a big family gathering for Christmas. Perhaps a snowstorm hits, keeping everyone at this house. Let’s say all of the kids are in beds and bunks and sleeping bags, sharing giggles and wiggles and stories with one another. Then, years later, a family reunion brings those children back to visit. They’ll come through this room, spot the eclectic wall paper and share smiles and laughter, recalling that wintery holiday with family fun.

• On a personal note, I have a home detail in my memory bank that stands out. Growing up in the farmhouse where my Dad was raised, my upstairs bedroom had pitched ceilings. This was a cool feature as a child because I could scotch tape my latest crayon drawing to the angled ceiling and it would “hang” with such pizazz that it seemed to be on display in a gallery at the Louvre. However, as an adult with a stay in my childhood bedroom, I would frequently bonk my head on those slanted walls, wondering how I lived with such a ceiling for 18 yrs!

What is your take on this? When you think of a memorable space, what fills your mind? 

• Is it the gentle half circle of a bay window? A space that welcomes cheerful rays of sunshine into the breakfast nook while the morning coffee percolates in the nearby kitchen.

• Or, could it be a classic dormer window? Offering an upstairs cubby with a plush cushion on a storage bench. This may have been a favorite nest for reading, drawing or journaling.

  
  

• Maybe it's a wood burning fireplace? Standing strong with chunky red bricks in shades of garnet and merlot. Possibly, at this hearth, you and your siblings each took turns stoking the fire?

  
  

• Perhaps it’s an outdoor feature? Am thinking of an apple tree with sturdy branches of curious shapes. This leafy arbor would allow a person to climb just high enough up to feel like they had a “secret hiding spot”.

  
  

• Or, as a friendly military spouse once told me, “Wherever I’ll set out my rocking chair, is where I’ll call home”. With this notion in mind, often certain belongings (yes, even the “stuff” that we pack and move, over and over!) will spark a trip down memory lane.

Of course, answering the question of what a person recalls from a dwelling will differ. But I’m going with the concept of how thinking back to a favorite nook, or how scouting out a “nesting” spot, could inspire a house hunter to look beyond the basic listing photos and seek out hidden potential. Besides, “Where can memories be made?” may be a fun question to ask when deciding on which home to purchase.

After the year that 2020 has been, with love and loss and reflection on behavior, I think that you, and I, and all people everywhere, could use a solid “time out”. No matter if busy shopping for a new home, or, if the social calendar is chocked full of holidaying, it may be beneficial to press the “pause” button and take a breather. As depicted in this post, penciling in a glimmer of peace could lead to reminiscing over kitschy details in the homes we have known. Or, it could be a moment for recollections of the outdoor spaces where we have relished the fresh air and the beauty that surrounds us. Or, maybe it’s bringing up fond thoughts of the belongings that have meant something to us. Whichever avenue we choose, tapping into our memory banks may bring a sense of calm in these often hectic end-of-the-year times. Goodness knows when the holidays near it’s a positive thing to bring “all the feels” - as in, highlight a healthy helping of good feelings! On that note, I wish you and yours germ-free cheer and best wishes throughout the New Year!