Home Means Family

When I am around other Deaf people, it feels like home. With the Deaf community, I feel strong and safe from harm. With the everyday world it can be hard to communicate; always having a pen and paper. With other Deaf people, communicating in American Sign Language, I feel proud. In my family home, I feel very relaxed and I can take naps in my warm and cozy bedroom. My home is so cool because my family are all Deaf. We can use American Sign Language and Arabic Sign Language and can easily understand each other. My family takes care of me and that makes me feel safe and comfortable. The aroma of delicious cooking with the fragrance of the delectable spices remind me of our far-away home, Iraq. My family in Iraq holds a special place in my heart. Although we are far apart we are still family, and when I think of them I feel at home. I was born in Ottawa so Canada is my home, but Iraq is like my home, too, because I have so many relatives there. When I am in my backyard swinging on my swing, feeling the wind on my face, I feel joyful like a bird flying through the air. I close my eyes and think of my family, my home, and I feel love and contentment.