The second time that my father got sick, I knew that this was it - he probably wouldn't get better. It was late November and the last of the trees had already lost their leaves.
It was cold and I felt that I couldn't get warm or shake my anxiety, even inside (despite the fact that I really disliked winter at the time, which I've now grown to love). I needed summer's warmth in the heart of the winter, so, I hung Christmas lights in my bedroom and kept them alight. It seriously helped me. How could some silly lights have an impact, I'd thought. But when I went away to college the next year sans lights, I realized I needed them once again. This time I recognized their symbolic importance. They are a physical reminder of the love present on Christmases with my family, and their presence in my bedroom was the equivalent of arms wrapped around me in a hug.
As I become more interested in design, I have recognized the importance of a home and a living space. With proper colors, lights, and furniture, a place can comfort and relax a person by the way it is organized. I just added thick curtains to my bedroom and am cheerful about how welcoming it is now!
