
We
didn’t have a plush bedroom. There were no beautifully painted walls, perfectly
placed artwork, or expensive looking light fixtures. We slept on a mattress
that sat on the floor, in the basement, surrounded by cement block walls. Cobwebs hung from the unfinished ceilings
and we were within arm’s length from both the washer/dryer and garage door. We
mixed boxes of powdered milk and ate whatever meals we could afford. I have
vivid memories of people leaving boxes of food at our door. To this day, I have no idea who left them,
but I’m certain that God brought them there and we were never hungry. My mom was a wonderful provider for us often
sewing us clothes so we had something “new” to wear. And though we had little, our faith, family,
and love made life ok.
As a
designer, I struggle with my past and present life. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE design, but I
struggle with the reality that many don’t even have a home to call their own. They
worry less about what the perfect shade of color should be for their room and
more about where their next meal will come from. They are concerned about their children
having a warm bed to sleep in and less about what fabric will go on the
windows… A far cry from the design life I live where the money flows abundantly
and people get upset when their furnishings don’t arrive exactly when expected.
Through
my very humble beginnings, I believe God gave me an appreciation for all things
beautiful. The beautiful times we spent
around our table, sharing a meal that someone else brought gave me a heart to
serve others. The simple trips we took
up to the North Shore bonding as a family; my sister, and mom taught me how
important family is… even if it meant just sitting around a bonfire and
roasting marshmallow’s. The little
things we owned gave me an appreciation for seeing the potential in older things
and making them new again. The outfits
my mom sewed for us, and the idea of creating something out of nothing would become
a lifelong skill I would not soon forget.
So
friends, if this is your story, know that I understand. I get what it’s like to be moving from rental
to rental. I know what it’s like to be
cold at night and live where there isn’t an endless supply of food, but I also
know what it’s like to be provided for. It
will be several more years before I knew what it was like to have a home to
call our own, but even in the darkest of times, I was able to look around and
find something beautiful.
Great post Stephanie! Thank you for sharing. You do have such a great of service. :) Miss you girl!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story Stephanie! I think yours is a great perspective for a designer to have and I completely agree that it's so tough to justify some of the design decisions we make when we know others don't even have a home. Thanks for being honest and real in where you're at!
ReplyDeleteThank you Nealy and Laura. I was a little nervous to hit "publish" but I believe this could be an encouragement to others who may have a similar story. <3
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! This was wonderful to read! I'll find houses for all of the people who need one, and you can help me fix them!
ReplyDeleteHaha. This is why I love you Nina!
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