What Does Home Mean to Me?

Everyone should have a home. Home is what brings a house to its brightest and most beautiful life. A house is a structure and a home is the life within it. A house and a home have a lot in common and they often need each other, but are also very different at the same time. To me, a home is far more than a H.O.U.S.E. At home, I feel… Happy. A house gives me heat while a home is a place where I can feel happy and cared for. Happiness at home is a feeling of ecstasy: like a family dinner with all the people I love around me. Happiness doesn’t just affect me, but all the people around me. Optimistic. A house is a place that I can occupy, but a home gives me a quiet place where I can be optimistic about the future. Optimism is that feeling on New Year's Day when everyone is excited about the New Year and having a great time. Being optimistic makes me feel confident about trying new things or about staying with a hobby because I am sure that it will work out in the end. Unstoppable. A house gives me shelter under the stars. A home makes me unstoppable by giving me a family who encourages me all the time to improve myself or try something new. Being unstoppable means that whatever people say or do, I won't relinquish my dreams. Safe. A house offers me shelter. I have a roof to block the rain, heat to not be cold, and clean water to drink. While a home makes me feel safe, comfortable, and welcome. Safety is a vital part of life. Without it I can’t be happy and I always have to be cautious. One amazing place where I feel safe at home is snuggled up in my bed reading my favorite book about planets and the universe. Energy. A house gives me electricity to turn on the lights. A home gives me positive energy to keep on going. I gather energy when I am playing and eating colorful and delicious candies and snacks with my friends at home. A house is an invaluable part of life but any house isn’t complete and special unless it is also a home. I am lucky to have a loving, caring, and welcoming home. To me, home is a feeling. At home I feel happy, optimistic, unstoppable, safe, and energetic (H.O.U.S.E).