Being Home: Discovering the Spiritual in the Everyday

by Gunilla Norris and Gunilla Norris

Book Overview

This classic book of meditations is an eloquent celebration of the spirituality of everyday objects and activities. Daily routines such as making the bed, reading the newspaper, sweeping the floor, and cooking supper are illuminated by examining their relationship to the Divine. Beginning with the first stirrings of consciousness in the morning, passing through the ordinary tasks of a day at home, and ending with bedtime benediction, Gunilla Norris...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1587680149
• ISBN13: 9781587680144
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: HiddenSpring
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 4.9" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

The intro is the best part

I enjoyed this book and the photography in it. But honestly, some of the poetry just seemed a wee bit contrived to me... as if Norris HAD to find something holy in the act of locking a door or shoveling. There are parts of it that are very well written, I love reading her prefaces and such in all her books. And parts of the actual prose was meaningful for me. But I'm glad it was just a library book. A note: I got this book thinking it spoke to a strictly Catholic spirituality... it does not. Elements of her writing lead me to believe there was a Catholic influence but she speaks in much more universal tones... even new-agey at times. Still there is nothing TOTALLY objectionable to most faiths unless one is offended by her referring to her "single-celled ancestors." I was still able to glean some nice meditation points from this book.

inspiring guide

This book not only is an accessible guide to the practice of savoring the moment, but it is written and illustrated so beautifully that just reading it is a spiritual pleasure. As a minister, I distribute it to beginners in spiritual practice and also enjoy re-reading it myself.

A beautiful meditation on the real meaning of home

Beautiful to read and to look at, BEING HOME is a celebration of the sacred ordinary and the domestic arts. I have given copies away as housewarming gifts, and continue to refer to my own well-loved copy again and again, whenever I need a gentle reminder to appreciate the gifts of being home. In Norris's eyes, the simplest household objects become holy icons, and the most ordinary "chores" become acts of reverence. She makes us view our surroundings with new eyes. If you're a homebody who longs to find words to express the soul of the domestic arts, this book is for you.