As I walk around our home, I have missed seeing many of the pictures we had hanging, or were displayed, throughout our former home. They were always a comfort as many were either pictures I had taken of our kids, their artwork we had framed, or paintings/photographs done by friends of ours.
To me, nothing helps make a house a home, other than the people in it, more than what one hangs on the walls. Each of those pictures, paintings, or other wall hangings is a memory, a moment in time, a micro-story, of our lives. Those decisions are very personal.
Those decisions also represent balance. A wall can become very “heavy” or “lop-sided” if what is chosen doesn’t match the wall, and isn’t caught before its nail is pounded into the wall. Balance is also making sure the items placed together aren’t clashing with one another. No one wants to see a war happening between two pictures every day—not good for the mojo of a home.
This evening, I went through the pictures I’d like to see again. Then my husband and I negotiated where to put them. We now have pictures leaning against walls throughout the house. Hanging them is left to him as he is more precise than I. He’ll measure, I would have eyed-it. Regardless of the method, the pictures will be hung soon.
What we haven’t tackled are the major family picture walls. We have two walls we want to fill with pictures of our kids, parents, and other family members. Since I have over 40,000 photos on just my phone to sort through, this will be a daunting, and a longer project than just hanging what we already have. Our family has been blessed in having been able to experience many great things together along with many family gatherings. How to narrow a lifetime down to two walls? Always a challenge, and always a joy, to view so many photos.
I can’t wait until the walls are full again with so many memories to reminisce about while walking through the house, and when explaining a picture that catches the eye of a guest.
Time to start going through those pictures…
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 