The Meaning of Home

Home is the never-ending comfort of my family being near. It’s a place where I always have someone to turn to if I'm feeling down or grey, or if my spirits are like birds that have forgotten how to fly. There, words of encouragement push me onward when I’m disheartened. At Christmas and holidays and everyday life, new memories with my family are made. Those memories are precious; each one of them are like pieces of shimmering diamonds. They are memories that I will treasure forever in my heart. Not all of them are happy, but they remind us that our family is resilient and that we have the strength to persevere through hard times. Here, I can always rely on the fact that no matter how much we fight or bicker, we will always remain a family. Home is where I’m away from the heavy weight of judgement. It’s a place where I can freely express my emotions and just be myself. It’s where my insecurities fall away, and I can feel the confidence that I lack at school and other public places. During every hardship that I face, my father’s wise words are like a light in the midst of a cold, dreary fog, guiding me through hard times and keeping me walking onward. At home, loved ones are always there to help lead me through the vast maze of life. Sometimes I get lost. Sometimes I meet dead ends. But my family is always there to give me the push I need to continue. Home is where pictures hang from the walls, and framed artworks and pictures of family decorate the rooms. Just looking at them brings happy memories of childhood floating into my mind. Home is where my art supplies sit in a box, waiting for the time they’d be used again. It’s where I can lose myself in the strokes of my pencil against paper, and allow myself to drift into a world of silence and tranquility. It’s where I can curl up on the couch with a blanket and a good book, devouring each page with . Hours could fly by without me knowing it when I’m with a book that I like, though sometimes there are interruptions (my mom calling me to eat dinner, and things like that.) Home is where I can fall asleep with the warm feeling of comfort and security. It’s where I can lay my head down on my pillow, knowing that I will be safe during the night. I’m thankful that I don’t have to live a life of constant fear, and that my home is the safe, wonderful place it is. Home is where tempting aromas of replenishing food fill the air. Although my dad is vegetarian and the only meat my mother eats is fish, they are both capable of creating the greatest food in the world (in my opinion.) It’s where special foods are served on special occasions, and a warm, delectable meal fills my stomach to the brim. It’s where I can leave the table, my hunger satisfied. Home is more than just a place where a person lives. Home is much more than that; it’s where family is, and where we can feel the strong love bonding us together. It’s where loved ones will give us reassurance, and where we feel that we belong. Home is not a house; it’s the feeling that truly defines it. It’s a feeling of security, warmth, and comfort. I believe that everyone should have a home as wonderful as mine, and hope that with every entry to this contest, another person is rewarded a home.