What home means to me

Home isn’t a place, it's a feeling, it's the feeling of love and happiness. It is a feeling of safety and comfort with your family and friends. Home is the neighborhood where I've grown up, the beautiful birds singing their morning song, the laughter of all the kids playing at the park, the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies that I can bake with my grandma, the smile on everyone's faces as we laugh and joke around together. Home is the feeling that I can be myself whenever I want. Home is the country I live in, the tasty smell of sticky maple syrup on our pancakes, the two beautiful languages we speak, the hunting and fishing we are able to do, the place where everyone is equal, the sound of our national anthem and all the Indigenous peoples that teach us so much that we’ve never known before. Home follows me everywhere when I'm with people I love the most. Home is the beautiful nature around us, the trees that blow in the wind, the lakes that are filled with gorgeous fish, the wildlife that fills the forests, all the leaves changing in the fall, the different seasons that are all so unique and the flowers that grow every spring. Home is wherever you are when you're surrounded with the things you love. Home is not just a place or building, it's the feeling of love, care, happiness, joy and confidence. Wherever you are, you are loved and that’s a home for me.