Evidence of Love

I have a “thought for the day” type of calendar on my desk at work.  Heidi gave it to me for Christmas and I look forward to checking it out every day. Sometimes there are things I’ve thought of already, sometimes it’s a tad preachy for my taste (especially first thing in the morning, pre-coffee!), and then sometimes there’s something that really resonates with me.

Today’s calendar thought was about “evidence of love,” and it’s certainly the latter type of entry. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that mean the most, and I appreciate reminders to stop and examine things in a new way.

The few entries prior to this one discussed how environment can impact your mood, and how even subtle mood changes can really affect your life. The point is that surrounding yourself with evidence of love in your life will make you happier.

Today’s entry reads: 

“Evidence of love in your home can be the artwork of children, fresh-cut flowers, beautiful poetry, philosophy hanging on your wall, spiritual and loving books on your coffee table, or photographs of your loved ones.”

Seems obvious, doesn’t it?

Well, what I am learning is that even the most obvious truths don’t have any significance unless you recognize and appreciate them. I’m usually so busy in my home, doing chores and putting toys away and playing with Anna and taking care of our pets that it feels like I’m trying to do a hundred things all at once.  That kind of pace doesn’t leave much room for taking a good look around and noticing the evidence of love that is there.

And this is just ONE of the bookcases!

In fact, all too often when I do stop and take a look around my home, I think about how cluttered it can get, all of the cleaning that needs to be done, and how I’m often too exhausted to do anything about it.

So, today I am challenging myself to think about the flip side of that.  The clutter means that Heidi, Kelsey, Anna and I have really made ourselves at home. It wouldn’t feel like “home” without Anna’s toys around and without Heidi’s stacks of too many books that she is trying to read all at once and without our area rugs being wrinkled up by Emmett so they’re more comfy for a nap.  

Jar Heidi made for me

The cleaning I have to do means that we’ve all been able to spend time at home together over the weekend instead of being so busy that we’re barely even home.  And, hard as it is, the exhaustion (on the weekend, anyway) means I have had a full day of fun with my family, that I’ve given Anna piggy back rides and run around the yard with her.

All of the things that can frustrate or overwhelm me if I let them are actually evidence of love. And that is a much nicer way to look at it than as evidence of frustration.

But there’s more. Many of the things the calendar guy cites as evidence of love are in our home already.  We have Anna’s art, and we have tons of “spiritual and loving” books (although we did away with our coffee table to reduce the risk of injury to Anna!).


We even have our own homemade “art” on the walls – a collage of family pics that Kelsey made us for Christmas, Heidi’s decorated glass jars, which are awesome, and collages we have made of photos from National Geographic.   

"Wallpaper" border made of vacation pics

We replaced the wallpaper border in our mudroom with collages of family vacations, nieces and nephews, peaceful, beautiful pictures, and Anna’s art. There are excerpts of the Tao that Heidi made years ago that have always hung in our kitchen, and I look at them every morning. And we have tons of photos of family and friends around.

That is a LOT of evidence of love.

Collage of kiddos

So, today I encourage all of you to take a look around and examine your home with a fresh view. Take a few moments to notice all of the evidence of love that is there. I’m betting it will make you smile.