Pictures on the wall and The Giver

After having packed up our pictures over a year ago for our move, and having lived in our new home for seven months (and before that renting a furnished house), we have just put pictures on the walls. It makes a real difference, but I'm not surprised. Being surrounded by images of our (distant) family members, of ourselves in earlier stages of life, gifts received, our university diplomas, and even some artwork, helps place ourselves in our context and gives us encouragement. The aesthetic dimension of our life has been taken up a notch, and we thank the Creator of beauty. I just read Lois Lowry's The Giver to our two oldest kids, and having pictures allows us to see beyond, to pass on memories, and to dispense with "sameness".