I grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland more specifically in a small township known as Hinckley, Ohio.
I have two older brothers, a mom, a dad, and a dog. We live in an ordinary neighborhood in a normal house. However, our house has one room that is extraordinary to me, which is the family room. The walls are painted gold and burgundy, and it has two big olive green couches, an overstuffed chair that sits next to the television in the corner, and soft beige carpet. There is a sliding glass door that leads to the deck and offers a view of our back yard. On the back wall there is a mantel as well as a big brick fireplace. Our school pictures are always displayed on top of the mantel and family pictures hang on all the walls. The room is always adorned with decorations for every season from our lighted Christmas tree in December to our Halloween window decals in October. Finding the perfect placement for every decal was always my job as a child. Of course we have a TV, a coffee table, and other basic accessories in there as well. There is never a shortage of soft cuddly fleece blankets in the family room, which are all homemade. It is right next to the kitchen, and the only separation between the two rooms is a wooden banister. The space is very open and inviting.
The layout of our kitchen and family room allowed for my brothers and I to build obstacle courses out of pillows and cushions for my old dog Barkley. He was a Scottish deerhound and could jump nearly anything. If Barkley didn’t want to play then my brothers and I would transform the room into a fort using blankets, couch cushions and pillows. The forts stretched from our stereo speakers near the mantel across the room to the banister. We would come up with endless games, scenarios, and rules for our games. We would play all day while my mom would work in the kitchen, and only stopped to eat bologna and Kraft American cheese sandwiches for lunch. Then, our mom would start dinner and we would continue our games. Finally, it would be around 4:00 and my dad would come home from work, which was my favorite part of the day. He would help us clean up the fort we had constructed and it would be time to set the table and have a family dinner. After dinner we would all sit in the family room and watch TV together. In the winter my dad would start a fire and my brothers and I would warm our feet by lying on our backs and resting our feet on our brick fireplace. If it was close to Christmas time we would all sit back and watch Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The family room was easily our favorite and most widely used room in the house, and it still is.
It was everyone’s favorite movie. Then it would be our bedtime, and of course we would wake up and do it all again.
As we grew up, and got busy with our own commitments we had less time for each other and things changed. It seemed like when I was getting home, someone was leaving, and it was hard to spend time together. My brothers and I no longer had time to build forts or make up games together or even to talk sometimes. However, as we continue to change and grow, some things will always remain. The family room is full of habits and traditions that will never be broken or forgotten. For example, anytime I was sick I could just curl up on the couch in there and watch movies all day, and my mom could keep an eye on me while she was in the kitchen or around the house.
Every year on Christmas morning we make our way downstairs to the comfort of the family room, and open all of our presents. Everyday after coming home from school I would drop my bag by the front door, and grab a snack, then make my way to the family room. Whether I had homework to do, needed to unwind after a stressful day, or was ready to relax the family room was always my top choice. Even our extended family loves that room. Every year we have Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving at our house. We all eat in the dining room then we head into the family to relax and enjoy each other’s company. We laugh and tell jokes, and pass the time together. Everyone feels at home, and no one wants to leave when the day is over. Although I have been away at school I know I will go home and the room will still be the same. We will all eat dinner then at least one person in my family will make their way into the family room to cuddle up on the couch. The family room is always waiting for us to come and relax. It is a room for bonding, relaxing, and letting go. It is calm and warm and welcoming. It offers stability and comfort for me. When I went home this quarter, the first place I went was to my corner of my big green comfy couch. I sat there for hours with my parents just relaxing and talking.
Many people find comfort in being alone in their own rooms. I must admit that it is nice at times to lie in my own bed without any distractions or stress, but overall nothing compares to the comfort of my family room. I really can’t put into words the feeling it gives me. I never really thought about it much until I sat down to revise this essay for my blog. We were supposed to convey a thought or feeling rather than put it into words, which I thought would be impossible. However, after I began to write I realized I couldn’t explain my feelings or memories just in words. I had to just do my best to make you all feel what I felt, and I hope I succeeded in explaining about a room that is near and dear to my heart.
