I cannot even count the number of times I have said the words, “I want to go home.” It’s the type of phrase that makes you feel better the moment you say it. By the time the words actually leave your mouth, you are already subconsciously making plans to get away from whatever you’re doing in order to get back to the little oasis you call home.
There are the moments when everything is going wrong and the only thing that would make you feel better is the simple sight of your house and even those times when you just need to walk in your front door and embrace you family in a giant group hug. Home for you has not become a “want,” but a “need.”
It’s not even the house itself that makes you feel better, though, it’s the people and feelings that make the house your home. It’s your mom waving from the window as you pull into the driveway. It’s your dad coming out to help carry in your laundry. It’s even your little sister running out in her fuzzy socks to give you a hug because deep down she’s been missing you like crazy.
Home is not the things that make a house a house, but the feelings that make your house a home. What it really comes down to are the letters that make going h.o.m.e. something you always look forward to.
It all starts with the H, which stands for the heart. We all know the saying, “Home is where the heart is.” Well, the saying is absolutely true. Going home means comfort and love. It is the one place where you can actually be yourself and not have to ever worry about being scared. It’s at home where you feel your best, your happiest and your most loved.
Next is the O that stands for ordinary. You go away to school and you meet different people. You sleep in a different bed and eat different food. You have different teachers and take different classes. Everything about your life is different and going home is ordinary. Yes, ordinary may be boring, but sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps you from going insane.
The M in home stands for nothing else but Mom. Let's be real, mom is the one person that keeps your home together when you aren’t around. She’s the one person that makes everything an occasion and lives every day for your happiness. And so, there are those times when you know you really aren’t going home just to go home. You’re really going home for mom’s hugs and mom’s homemade chocolate chip cookies.
The E is simple. The E stands for everything else. No, this is not just a broad statement. Everything else is specific to you. Everyone leads a different life, in a different house, with different family dynamics. The “everything else” is what makes home special to you.
For me, it’s my dog that runs around the yard wagging his tail until he is close enough to give me his doggy kisses. It’s also my cat, who for the first few days that I am home, finds it mandatory to sleep on my pillow with me. The “everything else” is the unspoken rule that says we have assigned seats at the kitchen table and knowing that if we order Chinese food we will probably eat it in the family room while watching a movie. “Everything else” is the special part of being home.
Home. It is warm and welcoming and happy. When you’re sick, scared, alone, happy or sad, home is there to be a sanctuary for all. Though we sometimes take it for granted, we know its value because home is the one place that is perfect to you. It’s the little house that you grew up in, filled with the people who love you more than anything. Home is the place where memories are made, happiness is created and you are always at peace.
