Home is…

My Home is special to me. My home is where I feel loved and create lots of memories. When I think of my home I think of happiness, family and safety. I am grateful for my home and I think it is important for all people to have a place to call home. Home is Family I feel loved when I am home with my family. When I am being hugged by my mom or when I play with my brother. Feeling loved happens when you are with the comforting people you feel safe around. When I am comfortable and feel safe I can always enjoy feeling loved by my family. Everyone deserves a home to feel loved in. I know I feel extra loved when my grandma comes to visit from BC. I love the joy she brings to our home with each visit! When she leaves to go back to BC I feel sad and that is ok - hard days are going to happen in life. It makes me feel lucky that I can return home after my hard days. Home is Safety I feel safe when I am home. At home I know that my family is near and it is comfortable. I think being safe is one thing and feeling safe is another. Being safe is physical and feeling safe is mental. When you are safe physically it means not getting hurt, not being in danger, having a roof over your head and eating well. Once you’re physically safe feeling mentally safe is really important too. When you are mentally safe you are in a place of love and comfort, somewhere to cry, laugh and feel all your feelings. Somewhere where there is no pressure to be more than you are in that moment. Home is where you aren't scared or worried because you feel truly safe! It is probably the most important thing in life, to be and feel safe and that is why it makes me sad to know that some people don't have a home of love and safety like I do. It also makes me so grateful for my mom who makes me feel safe every day, I don't know what I would do without her. Home is Comfort My mom told me she wanted to create a space that is cozy and inviting and focused on family. She designed our home with that in mind, like the colors we chose or the spaces we have. At my house, I have things inside that make my house a home like my room, my moms room, my brothers room, the kitchen, downstairs and the living room. Each room is just a room but it's full of pictures and memories. For example the kitchen where my family and I make delicious treats together. I will remember those memories when I am way older! There is even a spot where my mom hangs banners for every celebration. When I moved to my house it was old but together, with the help of our friend who is a contractor, we renovated and updated our house. Even after the renovation there was empty walls and rooms, but when we decorated and lived in it, it became filled with unforgettable memories and became a home to me and my family! I wish everyone could have a home like I do but I know it isn't like that, which sucks. But maybe in the future more people could have a home to call their own because of groups like Habitat for Humanity. When more people can feel safe and comfortable with a home, it helps them, and their family and the community. Long before I was born and before she even bought her first house, my mom volunteered her time to a Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build in Toronto. She told me about the projects going on in my local community and we drove by one of the homes. I know how special and meaningful the work is that Habitat for Humanity does and I hope that one day I can be apart of it any way. I feel so lucky to have a family and a home for my family. Thank you Habitat for Humanity for helping families every day! -Stella