"This Is Why I Work Here"

 That was Rosie's comment the other day while she was enjoying her work of redoing a mug display at the store. It is a matter of choice, where we work, and if we enjoy it or not.
I finally chose, almost thirty years ago, to love the home I own and to own the home I love. It wasn't easy sometimes to decide to love the home we own including the unchangeable window sizes and inevitable traffic of the too close streets.
 And the traffic through the yard of other peoples children, more yet the feet of a different culture pounding by the house at night or any other time they chose. It's all been training ground for us and our children. They grew up knowing that we are definitely in the world even though not of the world. We've had a lot of practice with that here.
    And yes, the willingness to maintain and love this odd, old house has been a choice, over and over. It's why I work here. Last night we brought home the first batch of lumber to remodel the basement. We have a dream. That's another reason we work here. A dream motivates us to believe that we can create a beautiful, functional space in what is now damp and unlikely. 

 Another reason for working here is that the next generation is depending on us. There's a park next door where the boys love to play. I hold out the promise of some park time after a portion of work is done.  This property is where we motivated our children to enjoy the constant work of a lawn, garden, and again the odd, old house. Here we are...still! I love my work here because it is where I am. And I have this wonderful privilege of sharing the love of living with our grandchildren. What can possibly more fulfilling than this? 

 Speaking at a girls retreat was also not really in my bucket list of things I wanted to do someday. I have to admit though, it was another reason to be glad that I work here. Here, where I am in my life with our own girls raised and also choosing to love their work. It is a taught/learned attitude. I thought and prayed over this speech for weeks. You heard about that already. It didn't take me long at all to realize that speaking is one of the places we work when we write and care about other people. Because we want to share in ways that encourage the rest. Ultimately, I discovered that love of sharing is why I work here in the world of words. 

 I enjoyed putting this display together this week at work. With Rosie's words on my mind I decided to get pictures to show you. This display is old and new stock rearranged to help our customers see the possibilities for their own decor at home. It is one of my favorite forms of sharing. It's fun to figure out new ways to do this. It is  an art, in a way. And it is definitely part of why I work here. The rewards are immediate and long term. And than there's a check at the end of the week, too. But truthfully, I would be tempted to do this job just for this pleasure. Elv might have other ideas about that. 
   Oh that's right, I guess this work is the reason we get to remodel the basement. Remember, life/work is what you make of it: a drudgery or a pleasure.