What A Home means

I don’t know what a home is. I do know what a home isn’t and I’m going to share that with you now so you’ll recognize you have a good home or to help when it comes time to make your own. A home is not selfish. It is not unsafe. It is not devoid of kindness. Let me explain. A home is more than one person and you must realize this. It is not about you; it is about us and we. It is the needs of the group before the needs of one. It is about sacrifice, compromise, and coming to terms with the fact that you don’t always get what you want. It is looking out for others because when you do, they’re going to start looking out for you. A home must not be unsafe. And just like looking out for each other, everyone has to push for security. You do introduce elements that threaten that security. You do what it takes to preserve that security. A place of warmth is not too much to ask. A place where there’s shelter from the outside is not too much to ask. A healthy place is not too much to ask. Home is a refuge from all the monsters that dwell in the world. Lastly, is kindness. Brothers and sisters will fight. Grown-ups and those who are supposed to be the voice of reason will too. There will be disagreements, mistakes, pettiness, and regretful actions. But behind it all, there must be kindness. Doing unkind things for the sake of being cruel has no place in a home. It grows like a snowball rolling down a hill and you’ve got to stop it before it becomes too big. I don’t know what home is. I only know what it isn’t. But I see homes around me that make me think I can do better. I’m writing this and tucking it away for when I need it and I’m making my own home. Come visit. You’ll find you’re always welcome, that you can escape the bad in life, and you’ll always find kindness.