Home

I am home again!

These last few weeks have been the longest I've spent away from home (maybe ever; certainly since having kids).

Having lived in lots of houses (at last count 12 since I met my husband; lots more over my entire lifetime), I think I have a pretty good handle on the difference between "house" and "home".

Home is where your people are. If you are a family, it's the unit base. The place you can come back to (even if the physical location changes from time to time). Perhaps you live by yourself - it's still where your family and friends visit, the location near your community.

Home is where you store your stuff, your things, your collected life paraphernalia. The things that make you, you. When you aren't at home, you bring some of your stuff with you (usually what you can shove into a suitcase or two), but it's not the same. Hotels are nice - because they don't have your clutter stuff strewn through them. But your stuff - your clothes, your books, your knick knacks, your pillow - that is good stuff.

Home is where you can be yourself. When we stay with others (even close family), we try to fit in with them. At home, we have our own routines, quirks and habits. And those things are OK or better yet, celebrated and revered at home.

Home truly is where the heart is. It's nice to go away for a bit, discover new things, new places, new stuff about yourself. But it's lovely to come home.

My goodness, it's good to be home :-)