Put up-pandemic, our houses have remodeled—from locations of relaxation and leisure to areas the place we work, work out and do the whole lot in between. The traces between labor and residing have blurred. For a lot of Black ladies, this shift has made it even tougher to entry stillness, however one option to reclaim that steadiness is by reshaping the environments we reside in. As a result of for us, residence isn’t only a place—it’s a sanctuary. A mirrored image. A reminder that we’re allowed to pause.
In a particular purchasing expertise at HomeGoods, singer, daytime discuss present host and 2024 EBONY Energy 100 awardee Jennifer Hudson reminds us that the areas we form are usually not solely an extension of who we’re, however who we’re changing into. And once we create houses that mirror the leisure we deserve, we give ourselves permission to take the day off we so typically delay.
As a part of her A-JEN-DA this yr, steadiness is the precedence. “Whereas we’re doing our work,” Jennifer mentioned, “we should always know we’ve earned the suitable to have our time—and permit ourselves that.”
At HomeGoods, she guided me by what felt like a spirit tunnel—aisles of risk, full of the whole lot from minimalist ceramics to bohemian throws to farmhouse wall artwork. In these aisles, a quiet transformation can occur. You don’t simply discover a new vase; you discover a new model of your self—one that will have been buried beneath routine or duty. Buying turns into greater than consumption, however a possibility for reinvention.
Jennifer requested me what I used to be in search of in my residence. I advised her: “One thing that signifies I’m on a brand new journey.” I had simply reached a private monetary milestone, and I wished to mark the second—not with a fleeting reward, however with one thing that reminded my physique and spirit: You probably did it. You may relaxation now.
She selected these attractive pillows—regal, Italian-Renaissance-inspired, with cranes mid-flight. I nap with them each day. They remind me that relaxation shouldn’t be earned by exhaustion—it’s a proper I have already got.
When requested what each Black lady ought to have in her residence, JHud responded with out hesitation: “A mirror.”
To see ourselves. To witness our magnificence. To design a life that displays our value.
So, the subsequent time you wander the aisles of HomeGoods, take your time. Discover the merchandise that calls to your coronary heart. Construct a house that appears like peace. Put a mirror by the door. And while you look into it, could you see a lady worthy of softness, slowness and the whole lot she wishes.
As for me, I take a look at these pillows—after which on the mirror to the suitable of my lounge—and I’m reminded: it’s greater than okay to take day off.