Home is Where the Heart Is

This is an observation about the concept of "home." I don't think we really appreciate home until we leave it for awhile, whether it is to go off to school, the military, or we simply grow up and move away. Even if we go on a business trip for a day, week or longer, we still want to get back to our own surroundings where we can kickback, scratch, belch and be ourselves. It is our fortress of solitude.

If we've been away from home for an extended period, we notice small changes upon our return, perhaps a new street sign, new neighbors who painted the house next door or changed the landscape, or maybe the decor of your house has changed a bit. Nonetheless, you still know the roads, the people, the weather, the food, along with the schools and buildings. Even though your bedroom has been converted to a guest room, it is still "your" room with all of its hidden nuances.

This leads to an important point, I tend to believe that home is where your parents are. Sure, some things may have changed but home is still basically the same; your parents maintain the same routine, talk about the same type of things, and enjoy the same comfort food and special snacks you've grown accustomed to. This means there is a predictability factor associated with home. Even if your parents move, such as retiring to Florida, their new house or condo bears a striking resemblance to their old one; they decorate it the same way, they organize and store things the same way, and the tempo and cooking are still the same. In other words, you intuitively know where everything is and can predict what's for dinner, what they'll watch on television, and when everyone will go to bed.

Even when your parents pass away and the house has been sold, and you now live hundreds of miles away, there is still a special fondness in your heart for "home." Home is much more than a physical structure, it defines what we once were and who we are now. It is our roots, our values, our likes and dislikes, our beliefs, and it represents our growing pains where we experienced both triumph and disaster.

Unfortunately, some people drift through life without any concept of home, perhaps due to a failed marriage or maybe they were orphaned. Such turn of events can emotionally scar a person and leave them with an identity crisis, never knowing their place in the world. As such, home obviously represents much more than a roof over our heads. It is an interesting tapestry reflecting our personalities, our values, and how we want to live our lives. It is most definitely where the heart is. Pity those who do not have one.

Keep the Faith!

Copyright © 2011 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.