The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow

World War 2 also brought along professional worries with shortages and rationing which Affected their small grocery and meat market. The floods of 1936 and 1972 had them wondering what would happen to them and their community. My mother recalls that my great grandmother frequently used the statement “the sun will come up tomorrow” or “God only gives you, what he knows you can handle” when she was faced with adversity.

Tonight as I sit here and look around at my living room, I recall the stories my Mother and Grandmother have told me about Frayna. She loved to decorate and embellish what she had to work within her home. There were not a lot of new material possessions because the memories of the depression deeply affected her willingness to part with what was still functional. The furniture and floors were polished, the house clean as a pin, and her hospitality never waned. Every holiday brought out colorful decorations and a festive mood. Frayna and Forrest loved and cared for their home. It was their Refuge. A place where they could take cover and comfort in a time of world and local events that created great worry and discomfort.

Their home is now my home, and my home is my Refuge. I have spent a considerable amount of time updating this home while still maintaining is history. The house is a library of things that offer me comfort as well as objects that hold memories and strings to family and friends current and long gone. I have an American Indian rug on the floor that was sent to the house from my great, great uncle Will from the southwest in the 1930s. A federal games table sold to me by a treasured friend as she “downsized” from a home to an apartment. Some comfortable sofas and chairs from Lee and Wesley Hall that offer support and comfort in times of need. I could go on and on about the items and comfort that are working in my home every day. Yes, it has taken a lot of time and effort to make my home my Refuge, but I can tell you it was so worth it. A Refuge is not created overnight, it takes time, energy, and yes, monetary resources. The feelings of comfort and safety for you and your family will far out shadow the time and resources it took to create your Refuge.

At this time I would encourage you to take a good look around your home, what needs to be done? Take a pen and paper and start making a list of things that if they were changed would make you happier about your home. Maybe a new color for the walls, closet clean out, and organization, a new light above the dining room table. Could it be that its time to frame those family pictures or perhaps replace that worn, uncomfortable sofa or perhaps purchase that leather chair and ottoman you always wanted for the family room? Look at the list you created and put those items, in order of importance. Let that list guide you to make your home the best Refuge you can create. As you start to cross off items on that list you will start to see instant results and a reward that will keep you going. You are creating your best Refuge. So tonight I send you the very best wishes for health and safety from my Refuge. I hope that you will agree on how important a Refuge is to you, your family and friends. We all owe it to ourselves, and loved ones, to have a place of comfort and relaxation. At the moment the news is not really positive but remember like great grandmother Frayna used to say “The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow”.