Safe Haven
“A nest like a home…created with care…stitched together with love…safe haven to share. Built of twigs and soft moss…and white cotton string…a blue strand of ribbon…a few shiny things. Wrappers and feathers…an old lace from a shoe…each patiently gathered…and woven like glue. A collage built with purpose…a young family’s nest…where delicate eggs will soon lie at rest. Created with love…done so with care…a nest like a home…a safe haven to share.”
I have long been intrigued with the concept of “building a nest” when moving into a new space…a home, an office, a work shop, a blank canvas waiting to be “painted” to feel like it is truly our own. I enjoy the hunt for just the right pieces, right colors, textures and elements that reflect who we are, what we treasure and value, taking on a comfortable feel that welcomes us back each time we return. Over the years, my wife and I have gathered an eclectic collection of artwork and pottery, relics and books and photos and “stuff”, with the hunt bringing nearly as much pleasure as enjoying our finds when they reach their new home. Second hand stores, Goodwill and St. Vincent’s, garage sales, estate sales, thrift shops and art fairs…frequently visited, seeking out treasures which capture our eye or trigger an emotion, a memory, a story, a smile deep inside. Their value is personal, based on the connection, frequently measured by the simple sense of pleasure of adding a perfect new “twig” to our comfortable nest. With the passing of time, our nest seems to be shrinking, with more treasures than space, complete with grandparent’s eye glasses specially equipped with large blind spots, unable to see an ark full of stuffed animals, plastic dump trucks and doll houses, pirate hats and eye patches, Polly Pockets and tea sets, Lincoln logs and much more. A once pristine carpet now reads like a road map, with highways and by-ways and spills from last Christmas (and Easter and birthdays and days just because) clearly marked for quick reference, well-known and well traveled…a nest shaped by memories and laughter, a nest we call home. Bursting with found treasures, good times and gatherings, straining at the seams, a comfortable safe haven, well-worn and familiar, the place of our dreams.
