A Door That Finally Opens

For years Mrs. Lucia carried her life in boxes. Almost every few months she and her two children packed up. Rent kept rising, apartments kept changing and “home” never lasted long. Each move meant starting over, new school, new routines and the worry of not knowing what’s next. Lucia worked long hours and still fell behind. The buildings they lived in were cold in the winter and unbearable at night. She would stay up all night listening to every sound wondering if this place was the last. When Lucia saw a sign at the community center about Habitat for Humanity, she hesitated to think it sounded too good to be true, but she still applied. What she didn’t expect was helping to build her own home. On weekends Lucia worked alongside other volunteers, neighbours and students learning how to measure, use a hammer and lift walls into place. Her children painted her hands on a wooden beam, smiling leaving a mark that was hidden but permanent As the house rose something else did too. Lucia started planning instead of surviving the present. The kids fought over which room they got and what friends to invite over as those simple dreams finally become true - they were awarded the house. She stood at the front door and realized she had a home, not just a house.