Homebody

 Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullah all :) how are u?

I have been enjoying home life past days. Not that I don't do it always, but I mean I have been doing what I like best: organizing, minimizing, decorating.. We don't have much decorations, partly because we don't have place for them and partly because we wanna keep it that way. But there's always little changes that can be made. 

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I have been a kind of a minimalist for some years now. Maybe since 2015? That was a year of big changes in my life. I moved to the capitol, Helsinki, started working, started my life. Before the move, I reverted to islam. After I moved and some time passed, I divorced from the toxic marriage I was in. It wasn't even a real marriage though, but anyways. Many things changed. I finally got clean from smoking weed. I started to improve my life in every way possible. I decorated my home nicely and it was my pride and a safe haven.

I don't really remember how I was introduced to minimalism. It was trending at the time I guess and it felt inspiring. I've always loved to organize, go through old, random things and just throw them out of my life. Give space for new. But I have been also in a state where I didn't care about my home at all, didn't have energy to clean, didn't think I would be worthy of a clean, happy life. So I do know both sides of the story. That's also one reason why I take the cosiness of my home as my pride and a resemblance of my well being.

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Home is important to me. My safe space, which I share with few. I have had to start over for a couple times in my life, so every little spoon and vase has a story. They are precious to me, as they are my memories of how I got back up again, how I survived.

I know minimalism is about detaching materia, and I guess I'm actually a secret, inner maximalist who loves bold colors and ceramics and golden frames. These two, minimalism and maximalism, can be combined. There's not just one way to do things, as I like to say. Minimalism keeps the home clean and clutter free, and the maximalism side makes sure I won't get bored. Same goes with my wardrobe I guess. :)

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I like the freedom I have in my home. Even on the days of worst anxiety, home feels safe. Alhamdulillah. And I like that our home represents both of us. There's feminine touch, but masculine too. It's a home of two adults. There's room for a little one too, but we are not there yet. In sha Allah. While we wait for that to happen, we enjoy what we have. Two sets of post-its and pens on the kitchen table, with two chairs. His things, and hers. When I look around, I don't only see my own survivor story. I see ideas and compromises. Looks like life. Looks like the residents here are valued and loved.

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Maghrib time comes so quickly now, alhamdulillah, at nine o'clock. It's early after summer in Finland, trust me hehe. I better get ready. Thank you for reading dears, until next time then again,

Aisha

P.S. A reminder for us all, not everyone has a home to go to. Let's keep Gaza and all of the oppressed people in our duaas. May Allah grant them ease and all what they need.