Home Is Family

To me, home means family and the memories we make wherever we go. I know Habitat for Humanity can make a difference in everyone’s life because a home isn't a house; it’s a place where memories are made, and to spend time with family. To start, a house to me feels like home only when my family is around. I know this because my home is packed with my mom and dad, my two-year-old twin brothers, two cats, and a dog. It’s chaotic at times, but they are the reason I feel at home. Whenever I come back from school or anywhere else, I know they’re waiting inside. Even knowing they are there makes me feel safe, supported, and comforted. Without them, it would only be a plain old house, not my home. Another part of home is the celebrations we share. For me, home means opening presents on Christmas morning and going to my pool on hot afternoons. On Halloween night, when we go trick-or-treating together, it gives me feelings of home. Even little moments, like movie nights in the living room or eating dinner and chatting, are special because we’re together. No matter what we celebrate, being near each other is what feels like home. The last thing that makes me feel at home is traveling. When my family and I road-tripped to British Columbia and back, we were far from our house, on the other side of Canada. Even though I still felt at home because I was with them. That showed me home is not a place—it is the people you’re with. To me, home feels like a place filled with warmth. I hope Habitat for Humanity can make a difference for those who have houses but not homes, and those who have homes, not houses.