What does your home say about you?
If you were to drop by our home in the north end of Toronto, here are some snapshots of what you’d see.
An unkempt lawn. There are weeds. It drives my other half a bit crazy. I see weeds as signs of life. They’re actually greener than our grass right now. Front lawns are archaic status symbols from the Middle Ages to prove you’re not a peasant, but I still mow it, so the neighbours don’t complain. Perfectly kept grass isn’t what matters here.
In the winter, however, we redeem the front yard with snow as our creative medium. Last winter we had our biggest project yet building a rainbow igloo. I’m open to ideas on how to turn the yard into a more useful or public space in the summers.
https://medium.com/@lon/how-to-build-a-rainbow-igloo-9f3df0d60356
Coming up to our porch, you’ll notice a little park bench and multicoloured bricks. Every year we let the kids chalk the front of the house in all sorts of colours. There’s an open box of chalk by the front you can help yourself to as well. We’ve recently begun inviting all who visit to leave their mark on our wall.
At the entrance there’s a woven Love Wins doormat. For us, this is more than an LGBTQ slogan; it’s ultimate reality. Someone also etched “❤️WINS” into the sidewalk in front of our home when new cement was poured. I have no idea who.
Once you cross the threshold and step inside, you’re greeted with our massive Family Manifesto on the wall. It sets the stage, reminding our family and our guests about why we’re here together.
https://medium.com/@lon/how-to-build-a-rainbow-igloo-9f3df0d60356
There’s nothing structurally different about our home, but it’s our hope that when you arrive, these subtle cues will give you the sense you’re stepping into a transformative experience.
And all this is just the entrance to our home.
Wait till you meet the people inside.