Home vs House

Home Vs House “A house can be bought but you have to build a home.” My house and home are two different things. While my house provides walls, furniture, and a roof. My home supplies love, the people who fill it, and belonging. I love my home. Not just because it holds my belongings but because it makes me feel seen and loved. I love that when I come home I can expect the best parents you could ever imagine. My dad always has the brightest smile on his face when he sees me. Often he cracks a joke or two making me laugh out loud. My mom cooks me the best food I've ever had. She takes me shopping and places we can share jokes and how my day went. They tuck me into bed and make sure I'm happy and loved. They both work so hard to make sure I have food to eat, a roof over my head, and clothes to wear. That makes my home very important to me. And I wouldn't trade it for anything. The people who fill my home mean so much to me, and that's a sentiment I want everyone to feel, and appreciate. It's true that home and a house describe two very different words. While a house is a structure that stands tall and carries furniture, a home is a place where “the heart is.” Carrying belonging and loving people who fill it. Love is everywhere in my home and my family makes me belong anywhere I go. My home feels different than being at school or other places. In fact my home's characteristics are unique, so unique that I can't seem to find it anywhere else. That feeling I didn’t realize I had when I was younger. Like getting picked up early from a sleepover since I couldn't sleep well at another's house, feeling homesick, and missing home cooked meals. Being myself is hard to be away from my comfort zone. Soon I realized what that feeling was. Belonging. I love my home. I can belong here and be whoever I chose to be. It's like a protective barrier guarding you from the outside. Letting you express, well, you. Really it's beautiful. And it sounds like dad stressing out trying to figure out how to put stuff together, like mom singing while preparing my favourite dish. Mainly its spontaneous laughter, agreements or even arguments. Putting everything to the side, this is my home. A place of belonging, including comfort. And it's the best thing I could ever ask for. “A house can be bought but you have to build a home.’’ I built my home brick by brick, memory by memory. It's filled with love, kindhearted people, comfort, and belonging. They truly are two different things and I hope my essay can remind you that a home isn't just a structure, but a tunnel that makes it right to your heart. And shapes who you are. -Amara Oughton