If you ever come to my home, you will find colourful walls and playful pets. I’ll tell you why.

I love colourful walls! They bring life, warmth, joy and vibrancy to what are often days filled with monotonous routine and challenges to overcome. They remind me of places I’ve been. They invoke in me a sense of comfort when otherwise I feel like crumbling.

So, if you ever come to my home, you’ll see the places on the ceiling where my brush went astray, no longer having the youthful hands of the artist I once was. I don’t mind, for life isn’t always neat and in between the lines.

You’ll see occasional the drips of paint on the baseboards where I just couldn’t have cared to wipe it off at that point in time. I don’t mind, for sometimes it’s better we don’t try to seek perfection.

And, you might even see a long black dog hair, once belonging to Thor, embedded in the paint that I missed along the way. I don’t mind, for someday I’ll find one and have a laugh thinking fondly on a dog I love.

If you ever come to my home, you’ll be greeted by that same dog, along with his new canine companion, Sif. They will jump and lick and look for love from you. I don’t mind, so I hope you don’t either, for this house is full of love – shared and given. You may also have one of the three cats cross your path, jump on your lap, or rub up against your leg. Again, it’s all about the love. Forget the shedding fur. Just remember the love.

So until we can escape the confines of these walls (and God knows I hope it will be soon!), I will try to keep on painting to bring us more joy. I will let go of frustration at puppy puddles left in the hallway when training isn’t successful and I will play with her instead.

And I will try to keep my spirits up.