I’ve been thinking a lot about home this week.
I’m certainly not alone in this. Photos of beleaguered Ukrainians fleeing their homes, footage of those who’ve decided to stay and defend them and tearful accounts from those who are having to watch from afar as their homes are attacked has been desperately sad for those of us lucky enough to be experiencing this war only from the sidelines.
It is also a poignant reminder of how little heed we often pay to the things that truly matter.
Brits in general and Londoners in particular are obsessed with what our homes are “worth” in a monetary sense.
This is understandable; bricks-and-mortar has long been regarded as the most effective way for people to accumulate wealth in this country.
But I’ve always thought it right that property is the suffix to this section’s name, not the main event.
Our purse strings may be tied to property but our emotional ties bond us to home.
It’s no disparagement to note this rubs up against our desire to impress the Joneses, make a profit and “climb the ladder”.
And you’d have to be pretty saintly to look at the gorgeous renovations and extensions in the running for this year’s Don’t Move, Improve! awards and not feel a pang of envy.
But those of us with somewhere safe, warm and secure to sleep tonight are the very lucky ones. Let’s try not to forget that.
