Sheets

  Sheets. Such everyday things. Not things, I would think, that typically inspire deep thinking. And yet, as I was making up our bed with fresh sheets, that's exactly what I was doing. I put the slightly older, not super new sheets on the bed, followed by a really old blanket of mine, and an even older blanket belonging to my husband, and topped the whole lot with our new(er) quilt, two mismatched who-knows-how-old pillows and two matched older pillows.

  

  I started thinking about how our bed with its layers of blankets represented our lives and its seasons. We have many pieces of furniture, linens, keepsakes, and other useful things in our home that represent who we are as people. These ordinary things characterize and define our lives together. Things we owned before we were married, and things we purchased together. Things that were given to each of us individually, and as a couple. 

  It's nice to think that I have a beautiful home, but what truly makes it beautiful is the life inside of it. The toys on the living room floor that aren't always picked up. The laundry in our hampers that is the clothing that keeps us warm. The crumbs on the floor that I haven't had a chance to sweep yet that mark our last meal together. There is beauty in the ordinary, and I'm going to look at it this week and be thankful for everything that I have.