H - is for Home

What is it that makes home, home? Is it the place, the people, or a combination of both? Thinking about what makes a home a home is actually something I contemplate often. I think that this is because we move so often and I don't want my girls to feel like they never had a place that they could call home as an adult.

When I was younger, in my pre-military wife days, I would have said that home is where you grew up, where you spent most of your young life. Now I don't quite feel that way, and I hope that my girls don't either. To me home is where your family and friends are, no matter where that is. Home is the place that when you walk in you breathe a breath out and let all of the stress and frustration leave. Home is where you feel comfortable and loved no matter what. Home isn't always a location, although it can be, and it doesn't have to be the place where you spent the most time growing up. Home is the place where you feel the most love. The old adage that Home is where the Heart is, really is true.

I have the amazing privilege to call many places home. My Mom's house will always be home, no matter where she lives, it's a place where I can go and always feel comfortable and loved. My Grandmothers house in Texas will also always feel like home to me, as I drive towards it I can feel the stress and anxiety in my life slowly slip away. The home I have created with my husband, no matter where it might be will always be home, and I hope that my girls will always feel that way too. LadyBug's house will always be home. Since I don't think I've talked about her yet, LadyBug is what my girls call my best friend. We have been separated by thousands of miles and oceans and yet I know that she will always be there for me, it's an awesome feeling. And last but not least is my husbands hometown. His friends and family have welcomed me with open arms and I am thrilled to have one more home to add to my list.

~DD