“Ma’am if you are living here by yourself, a 40-gallon water heater will be just fine.” That was nearly two decades ago. I’m glad I requested a 50-gallon water heater, insisted in fact, and paid a bit extra to install the larger unit.
Why? Well, part of my nesting time includes long hot showers. I wanted to ensure that the household didn’t run out of hot water. A few years later, with a child who was calmed by long hot baths, I was again glad for requesting the 50-gallon unit. We rarely ran out of hot water for baths, showers, and kitchen needs.
Reflecting on this season and the 50-gallon water heater insistence, I find myself realizing that sometimes I have let myself be talked out of what I really wanted, and my soul may have really needed, on more than one occasion. Thankfully, nothing life-harming, just things that may have made life easier, more enjoyable.
The coming of a new year is also a good time to reflect on what we want our 24/7 be-all houses/school- rooms/workplaces at home to be. Whether it is furnishings, appliances, hot water heaters, or a discussion about family interactions going forward, now is a good time to prepare for 2021.
While navigating several major transitions this summer and fall, a friend in Seattle began urging me to take a yoga multi-week course online. Being an extrovert, I was very hesitant. She Was Insistent – in a supportive way. So, I looked up the class she was recommending. Nope. Online wasn’t a good fit for me.
A few days later, an eight-week, one-on-one class in my city became available at an introductory rate. I knew what I wanted and then it appeared! I am in week six of the class that includes journaling, yoga, mediations, reflections, and LOTS of learning, releasing, and future-visioning. I’m glad my friend was so insistent. She was urging me on to self-care at the 50-gallon level. I am absolutely benefitting at a 50-gallon level!
Nesting begins with our own thinking; our need identification; our ability to communicate our needs; and our ability to stick to what we know we need (or want). Nesting continues with the implementation of actions, and sometimes purchases or investments, that create our homes – our safe havens and places of comfort and joy.
How many times have you let yourself get talked out of something for your nest-improvement?
When have you stuck to your initial request and been glad?
Photo note: Mini-mountains by Lorelle Rau for NestingCards® – we first met at a 2018 Open Studio tour in Boise, Idaho. I bought a print and we worked together on this second-set in the NestingCards series.
Nesting (the blog and NestingCards® the product line) is about the objects and experiences that create a sense of home. Without home, it is difficult to maintain health, find joy, or to be productive. Enjoy the NestingCards series of blogs on your search for and creation of a deep sense of home. Also, enjoy browsing www.NestingCards.com for fun, for gifts, and for joy-spreading possibilities. ~ Jana
NestingCards® is a registered Trademark, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Jana Kemp
