A Happy Home

I've been musing lately about things that really make a home complete. One thing for sure - a happy home is one with laughter and love replete! 'Twill be a place with affectionate parents who dearly love each other, And blessed by a couple of kids - a little sister and her big brother! A home ain't a home unless you have a faithful dog and inscrutable cat, And a stoop on which to greet folks whereon lies a welcoming mat! A grandfather clock to intone the inexorable march of time is needed, And a fireplace with a cozy fire by which to reminisce unimpeded! There'll be a library of classic tales with yellowed and dog-eared pages, And a Bible that is read, having been handed down through the ages! Displayed on the fireplace mantel will be pictures of folks from the past - Folks from the family tree who set standards for honor unsurpassed! There'll be a white picket fence and a trellis with climbing yellow roses, And a huge front porch with a swing on which to enjoy pleasant dozes! At the kitchen table, the family dines, discusses the day and grace is said. Later the kids say nightly prayers before being tucked in their featherbed! Marks to measure the kid's height mar the wall nigh the kitchen door. Happy holidays and birthdays are celebrated that will add to family lore! Though the dog and kids may create havoc as about the house they roam, If I may quote Edgar Guest, "It takes a heap o' livin' to make a house a home!" Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired © All Rights Reserved