The Four Letters of Home

For me, home is a feeling of loving, caring people who will always stand beside you and give you motivation. It’s a place where you are loved unconditionally around the clock. Home is where my passion grows, and my voice is heard. The word home has four letters, and this is what those four letters mean to me. The H in HOME stands for happiness. Happiness in my home is watching Hindi movies and eating peanuts and gachak. It’s when I play games with my dad and we laugh when I beat him and he says, “I didn’t see that coming!” Happiness is when I share about my life in Canada to my relatives in India. The O in HOME stands for optimism. Optimism is when you look at the positive things in life, not just the bad things. Optimism in my home is when I realize my brother taking my tablet to work on his university assignments means I get to spend more time with my parents instead of playing games online. The M in HOME stands for memories. Memories in my home are shared when my parents tell me stories about their childhood, their teenage years, and show me their wedding videos in India. They share stories of Lohri and the festival’s bonfires, dances, and traditional Punjabi clothing. They share wise words about their life and teach me where my ancestorial roots come from. The E in HOME stands for empathy. Empathy in my home is when my parents teach me how to give back to the world and how to care for the land. In India, we planted trees to help the air in our local park and I remember those memories still today. This is what the four letters of home mean to me.