What does home mean to me?

Many people think of home as a building, an apartment or a condo but they are wrong. House means a building or place to live while the meaning of home is quite the opposite. Home is not a place or thing, home is a strong and imaginary feeling. Home brings you strength and joy to the heart. Home is not the windows, the doors or the furniture of the house. Home is the spark that the ones living in the home make. It is the beautiful memories, people, pets, hopes, faiths and dreams that are shared that truly make a home. My house is owned by everyone in my family. With bricks on the outside and walls on the inside. It has windows, doors, bathrooms and much more but that's not what my home is like. My home is happy, bubbly, bright and fun. It is filled with colours and memories that we make. It is a safe place for me and my family and a place for me to grow. A place that gives me happiness, joy, imagination and warmth. Our homes give us support and give us a place to be us. My house gives me privacy because of its roof but my home gives me strength and tells me that I can be safe and sound. Home is with me, my sister, my brother and my loving parents. It is what made me who I am and is a place that is not only open to others but it opens my heart and shows me that I am lucky to have a home that is there for me. Houses provide safety and shelter but that doesn't mean that you will feel at home. One doesn’t have to own a big place to feel at home and those who don’t have a proper place to live in, feel like they don’t have a home. They just need to look at things from a different perspective. Home is where you can feel safe and secure. You don't have to hide who you are, you can be yourself. It's a place to have fun, play, draw, colour, dance and do whatever you want. Home is a place where you can open and feel safe to share your own feelings. Home is a place where I can cry and pour out all of my feelings. Home is a place for you to learn and grow. Home is a place that comforts you and is a place where stigma and bad thoughts can't reach you. Home is a place where I am loved and am seen from all the stars above including those who have passed. Home is a place where God keeps me safe and is a place where I can reach my goals to my heart's content. Home is a place for me to make things possible. It is a place for me to acknowledge the effort my parents and family have put into our home to make it just right for us. It is a place filled with grace and it is a place for me and my family to feel happy and safe. Our home is cozy and warm and just like Disney said, “Ohana means family, family means home. Nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” Many people around the world don't even have a house. They are homeless and have to live on the streets but there is something that they have that we don't. They are happy with the smallest things. They might not have a house but their home is their surroundings and their loved ones. Living on the streets gives them a different perspective of home and makes it stronger than ever. They might not be safe but they are still happy. Their community is their home. Here we are, complaining about rooms being small or bathrooms not flushing while they don't even have a place to sleep. Their homes keep their spirits up because their perspective of home is those who care for them no matter if they are on the streets or if they are on a bench sleeping. Home is most powerful, joyful and meaningful to them than it is to any of us. They don't care if they have a shack to stay or if they have a mansion or even the latest iphone 13. If they are with those who care for them and will support them and be by their side no matter what then they feel at ease, happy and at home. A spark lights within and spreads to everyone around them. A spark of love and joy that opens their minds and embraces their home. It is what makes them amazing and happy. They are grateful to have a home and so should we. Everyone deserves a home. The richest people might have a house or even multiple but that doesn't mean they have a home. A home can't be bought. A home comes from the heart. Many people don't have a house but still have a home. A home can bring the smallest or biggest spark of happiness and joy to those who really need it. After hectic days or sad moments, a home is there to bring your spirits up and bring light to you and your heart. I am here today to help those who don't have a house and to let them know that their home lies within them. A house may keep you safe but a home gives you strength and joy. Putting the two together can make everything possible. I hope that those who don't have a house can now get one and that they know that wherever they are, whoever they are with, they are always at home, just like me.