The warm ocean air carries the crisp smell of citrus; fresh, tranquil, and free. It smells like home. We're peeling oranges from the backyard. I run to the ficus tree and climb to the top of our treehouse. Our golden retriever, Bear, wags his tail frantically in preparation for an orange slice. I throw one down.
These are daydreams, reveries. The gentle meandering thoughts of a child, delighting in the present, only conceding to audacious hopes of the future. Who will you become? Where will life take you?
How do we hold onto these feelings of wonder? How do we inject tenderness into our whirlwind lives? How do we encourage a little more silence and stillness in the thick cloud of beeps, sirens, and dings?
Sharing laughs with someone I love. Cozy blankets and pj's, warm from the dryer. Snuggles on a big pillowy couch. Something delicious, that's almost ready, baking in the kitchen. Quiet, brisk mornings. Soft light. Bubble baths. Ism's and "that's-so-you"s. Familiarity, comfort, and belonging. Just being, together.
Home is hot tea in a kitschy mug Mom brings over to you. Reality is a hot coffee to-go, announced to a crowd by a sleep-deprived barista.
Home is here, whenever you need it. Waiting, longing for you. It says, "making time for you is my delight and my privilege." Where your heart is, and where your heart has been. What your heart has been through, and what it persists in wishing for.
The leaning into the restfulness while continuing to strive for more. Through the loving refuge of home we are empowered to venture beyond.
The Orange Blossom Collection alighted in my imagination on a trip to Sicily and became reality through childhood memories.
I hope you enjoy the collection.
Sent with love,
Rebecca
