Photo Credit: Wonderlane/Creative Commons
Until about 6th grade, I grew up in Small-town USA. It was a sleepy, little town defined by traditional values and faith.
With a reverent sense of hearth and home, we had our share of eccentrics and ordinaries.
Everyone knew everyone and we knew all the juicy tidbits about everyone whether we wanted to or not.
We knew who our neighbors were and what they had for dinner. We knew who made the best fried chicken in town and who didn’t cook a lick.
We knew who had the most and who complained the least.
If Aunt Bertha didn’t feel up to marketing because of the bunion on her big toe, our little, local market would come to her. They were happy to deliver.
Church socials were full-scale events especially during the holiday season. The ones with the most food drew the biggest crowds and saved the most souls. It was a well-known fact…er…rumor.
When mamas had babies, they didn’t have to worry about meals for the next week. (And maybe not for a month if the stork delivered twins.) Other women in the community would tag-team their efforts and bless the family with casseroles, stews, pies, and cakes and whatever else that might be needed.
To welcome new folks in our midst, we’d often have a “pounding.” That is, we’d shower them with a pound of this or a pound of that. Large boxes would often be packed with cans of coffee, bags of sugar, tins of teas, and containers of staples. We loved getting to know our new friends and neighbors.
We took the time to look past the busyness of life. We stopped and chatted with those on the street. We waved at passing cars, and we rarely met a stranger.
We realized our roots and how deeply they were planted.
I loved those childhood years in our tiny, close-knit town.
Those times taught me the importance of hearth and home. They forever stitched the seam of resiliency about the fabric of my soul.
I learned that while change is inevitable and good in so many ways, there are some basics that are non-negotiable.
Fads and trends will come and go, but it’s those intrinsic core values that we grow up with, long for, and adhere to that will endure.
We can’t (and shouldn’t) poke our heads in the sand to hide from cultural shifts and societal influences.
We can, however, approach those influences confidently when we’re armed with the knowledge of what we know to be true: hearth and home are here to stay.
How we choose to define them is entirely up to us.
(And that’s part of the reason I write.)
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What does “hearth and home” mean to you?
Was your hometown like mine?
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Here’s to a restful weekend!
Blessings Always,
Comments 5
Cynthia, believe me, you are so blessed to have those lovely small town memories of loving and caring people, plus the family memories tied in with that. It’s good to know that lifestyle really did exist somewhere outside of the fictional life of TV 🙂
As for me, I grew up in one of the largest cities of the world and life was extremely different, but truthfully I think for more complicated reasons than just blaming city life. And that’s why I write the stories I do: to (hopefully) show how God’s love shines in less than ideal or even pleasant families or life situations.
Thanks for writing about this topic!
Author
Elaine, I was indeed blessed! To this day, I think that’s why Andy Griffith remains one of my favorite television shows. It reminds me so much of my little hometown from long ago. When we my moved due to my father’s job transfer, I was heartbroken. The next town we lived in was nothing like I’d known.
I’ve read your powerful testimony and I’m looking so forward to your books! Encouragement is near and dear to my heart, as well, and I know you’re stories will resonate with the hopeless and hurting. Thanks so much for stopping by this morning!
Thanks for the happy tears you’ve flooded my eyes with this morning 🙂
I wish my hometown were like yours! Sadly, no, and I took off into the hills at every opportunity.
It was kind of funny…someone once warned me about gun-toting nut-cases in the hills (I was not small, and did carry a weapon)…and when they described an individual I realized they were talking about ME!
Now – it’s where I am today. A modest home shared with Barbara, a turtle, two cats, and 27 dogs.
There’s no place in memory that calls me back, nor dream that pulls me forward. This is the place.
Author
Home. Such a beautiful word! To treasure our lives with our loves is no small thing. Here’s to you, Barbara, and the precious creatures you care for! *clink*