Is there a way to willfully warm up the house like you can do with a thermostat, yet do so emotionally?  Can I affect all of my family’s lives and convince them to partake in treating each other nicer, to be more cognizant of others, to come up with ways to make life happier for all?  Can I be a more considerate husband, and positively affect my wife’s daily life? Are there conscious things I can do to make an unconscious temperature shift to where our lives are more comfortable and happier?

Last night we went to the high school Girls Soccer (GSOC) banquet, and it was one of the most uplifting experiences I have had.  Witnessing the coaches and girls have so much fun talking about their season, what they have learned, what successes they had, what will inform them going forward in their lives (and ours), what fun they had, and how much they came together like a family.  I know that was a mouthful (tell that to my typing thumbs), but you can see there was a lot going on in 3 hours. 

And this morning I read a piece from Cokie Roberts, who you may know from NPR or ABC News, where she and her husband describe the small considerate things they do every day, which make each other feel cared for by someone who knows them so well.  By doing little things like preparing food just the way she likes it, or letting him watch his favorite team and get out of the dishes.  These little things make you feel so good, and they add up.

I heard Depak Choorah mention how you can break the ice, not by chipping away at it, but rather  by simply raising the temperature.  In that way, I want to adjust the temperature in my home.  I am not saying my home is a bad place to live – far from it – but there are things I can do and we all can do to make life a little better.  And when we think about home I want us to smile and laugh, knowing that it is a place of joy.  I want to recount my home experiences like the Girls Soccer team talked about their season.

There are things that cause friction now, like how I turn off the internet at 10:30pm.  There might be some compromise to be had.  And setting up grocery deliveries will take a portion off of Kecia’s plate.  And what about finding places for those things that seem to not have a good home, whether it’s in our home or maybe someone else’s?  How about bringing flowers home more often, setting the table, having pleasant music, having a cocktail hour, and making a nice fire for all to enjoy?

If my train ride was longer, I could come up with 50 things to help make the temperature in my home more comfortable.  With the temperature dropping and Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is the perfect time to act on the little things to make life more comfortable and fun.  If it works out like I am hoping, there will be less chill in the air this winter. 🙂