Housewarming

My house is drafty.  It was built in 1935.  The windows are thin and not tightly sealed. Since it was built in 1935, there are plenty of projects to do, so I haven't done a thing about the draftiness besides slide a draft stopper thing under my front door.

My kids didn't notice the draftiness, but they did notice the draft stopper.

The door's hard to open with that under it.  The door mat keeps getting pushed out of the way.  We trip over this draft stopper as we leave - it's cumbersome.

Today, my youngest son pulls a magazine insert card out of his pocket and says, "Oh, Mom, I found this in a magazine.  It's FREE.  Free Housewarming....".  And he hands the card to me with a big smile on his face.

I looked at it.  I looked at him.  And I smiled as I said to him, "Oh, Coop.  Thanks.  Housewarming."

He was still smiling as his brothers said, "What is it?"  

"Housewarming," he says.

He was certain this was going to make his mom  happy.  A free way to warm our house.  The card was actually an advertisement for credit cards...for those who had just moved to the neighborhood.  And I ended up explaining to him that a 'housewarming gift' is when someone brings you something that  makes your new house feel more like a home - like a plant or plate of cookies or a door wreath.

I guess my explanation is true, but today there was a homewarming at my house.  Warmed by the care, giving and, love that carried that card in his pocket all day, just so he could give it to me over dinner.  

The free way to warm our house ended up being that card, but in a much different way than my youngest son had anticipated.  Housewarming.  Homewarming.  Heartwarming.