Beams and Dreams

“A house is made with walls and beams, a home is made with hopes and dreams” Many people use the terms “house” and “home” interchangeably. But are they really the same? What are their similarities? What are their differences? We can view a house as a husk for the soul that makes it a home. A home has a life of its own. It has feeling, emotion, and character. It’s a cozy winter morning alone in a warm apartment, or a sleepover with friends and family. Home is not just a place, it’s a feeling. It’s where you FEEL at home. But viewing a home as a feeling is rather limiting, isn’t it? Yes, a home does have a feeling, but that’s not the only thing it has. It can consist of family, pets, or even just you! Home is defined by the people that live in it. A house can exist without being a home, but a home can’t be a home without a house. Do you have a favorite carpet, pillow, or chair? Or anything else you think your home just isn’t the same without? Almost everyone does! A home is also defined by its physical components! This is Habitat’s mission. Giving people a place to grow, be themselves, be sheltered even in the toughest of times. And have countless memories to remember it by. The very idea of moving and leaving their beloved home behind is something a homeowner wouldn’t want to ever have to consider! But no matter how much that place meant to you, sometimes it’s just necessary. I had to move quite a few times. Thrice in my country, and thrice internationally. That's a total of six major moves! Nothing can be harder than leaving behind the place you grew up in all your life, no matter how similar your new home is. But, then again, sometimes it’s just necessary. The idea of a home and differentiating that from a house can be very complex, to say the least. But what I think we can all agree on is that: A house is not the same as a home.