What is 'home'? What defines it? How does one explain it?

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines home as "the place where a person lives".

Helen Rowland said, "Home is any four walls that enclose the right person".

The meaning and feeling behind 'home' is within an individual. There is no proper definition or one specific way to describe it. It can be a place, a feeling, or just another word. Home, whatever it may be, is personal.

Home As A Place

So many people look to the house they grew up in as their home. A place where they felt safe and were surrounded people who loved them. It could also be the town they were born and raised in. Home is a physical thing that will always be there to come back to. It brings people comfort and stability. Leaving the place where everything is familiar and comfortable can be scary, so it is reassuring to have a home to fall back on. It is not only where one resides to on a daily basis, but where one feels like their true selves when no one else is around.

Home As A Feeling

The saying goes that "home is where the heart is." Home is where one is happy, no matter where in the world that is. Maybe its the feeling when you're with that one special person that is warm and comforting. Home is the sensation one gets holding a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning. Feeling at home is an emotional connection to whatever makes one secure and relaxed. Home doesn't always have to be a singular place, it can be the pleasure of walking into a room where ones closest friends gather.

Home As A Word

To some, home means nothing. There is a negative connotation tied to the word. It brings back memories of sadness and fear. There was no comfort or support in the place they would normally call home. Maybe one moved around a lot as a child, so a home was something that came and went. To some, being at home did not bring stability into their lives. Just because home may mean nothing to someone, doesn't mean that it isn't impactful.

Whether home is a place, feeling, or just another word, it defines an individual and shapes them for the future. It will show them how they want to create their own home in their adult lives. Whether it be a place that is stable, where people close to them can come as they please, or the feeling of waking up next to someone they love. Home can be defined in about a thousand ways and there is never a wrong answer. Home is a place, it is a feeling, and it is a word. It is a personal connection that lies within each and everyone of us.