Dear Childhood Home,

I never realized until recently how much my you really meant to me. The house that I was able to grow up in really made it seem that much more special. It started with the days of finger painting, running around the house screaming with no responsibilities but having fun. Then came the tougher times, like first-grade math homework and meeting new friends. As we got older, school just got harder and your social life became tough too. There was always one thing that made everything better at the end of the day, and that was running off the school bus into the comfort of your home.

Backyard memories are endless. Whether you had a white picket fence, an open space, or a small lot, your family was sure to make the best memories in the yard. Summertime brought picnics, outdoor games, bonfires, and running around while your parents did yard work. Some of the happiest times in our lives are the ones we spend in our own homes- and not on vacation.

Through all of the seasons, all of the storms, and all of the quiet, we have all hated and loved where we grew up. We ran inside to cover when it started pouring rain. We hid inside on days when it was too humid to play outdoors. Nothing can compare to the blissfulness we feel on a night in with the family, cuddled in blankets and just hanging out with one another. Or the days of blasting music through the house with all of the windows open, screaming to your favorite songs and dancing around the kitchen. We've all laughed, we've all cried, we've all been through it all and without the four walls around us, we'd have nowhere to bring it all together and reminisce again in the future.

You really don't realize how much something means to you until you're separated for a while. My first time headed back home from college, and pulling into the driveway I got this odd new feeling in your body. It

was a feeling of nostalgia and comfort. I almost felt like I should've been in a movie scene with all the memories flashing through my mind of everything that had gone on in this exact spot over the past 18 years.

Some of us don't get to stay in the same house for all of our childhood and some of us may stay in that same house until we get older. Either way, we have that one house, that one spot, that brings the idea of comfort and gaiety into our hearts.

So I would like to thank the house I grew up in. Thank you for keeping me warm in the cold and cool in the heat. Thank you for being the one certainty I could always rely on after a long, hard day. Thank you for being there while I grew up and went through everything I never thought I would. Thank you for being the home to all of my memories, and thank you for being my safe haven.

Sincerely,

A Nostalgic Resident