Dear friends,
Welcome to this short exercise in gratitude for the gift of the place we call home.
We begin with a quote from Sarah Van Branock.
Sarah is the author of Simple Abundance.
Be grateful for the home you have,
Knowing that at this moment all you have is all you need.
So today take a few minutes to look around your home.
Notice the building that is home to you,
All of its parts.
Take time to look up,
Look down,
To the right and to the left.
Notice that it has foundations,
Floors,
Ceilings,
Walls,
Windows,
Doors.
Notice its fixtures,
Its connections to the services coming in from the world outside.
Think of all the work which has gone into the construction of this place.
The materials used,
The source of the materials,
The people involved in the production of all that went into the making of this building,
The transport involved in bringing all of the materials to the site.
Think of the planning,
The skill of the workers,
The hours of training,
The blood,
Sweat and possibly even tears involved in the course of this work.
The fact is that people have exchanged parts of their lives,
Earning a living,
To save their lives.
They have made parts of their lives,
Earning a living,
To support themselves and their families,
Through working to make this building so that it would become a home for you.
This is your home,
But it is inextricably linked with the work and the lives of very many other people.
These are people whose identity will never be known to you.
Skilled craftspeople working to create something great and lasting,
Creating something of which they might be proud.
Unskilled hardworking people trying to make a living.
For them the building of this home was a blessing to them,
And it was a blessing to the people who needed their support,
Earned through their hard work,
On building this home.
This building is more than a home.
It is the product of human cooperation.
A place of your own where you can centre your life.
A place whose creation has been part of the lives of so very many people.
This home is a cause of happiness for you.
It is a place to which you can retreat from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Its very bricks are a source of meditation and unending gratitude.
May your every entry into this place be a source of happiness for you.
And may your every going out from this place be an opportunity to extend that happiness out into the world.
Before the closing bell,
These words are a blessing for a new home.
May the door of this home be wide enough to receive those who hunger for love or are lonely for friendship.
May it welcome those who have cares to unborden,
Thanks to express,
Hopes to nurture.
May this door be too high to admit complacency,
Selfishness and harshness.
May its threshold be no stumbling block to young feet.
And may this be a doorway to a rich and meaningful life.
Namaste.
