It hit me all at once. I was upset over something so insignificant that I cannot even remember what it was. But that night, this insignificant thought lead me to the realization of something really important. My home was no longer my home. My family has always been really important to me, and since I have been in college my days spent relaxing at home have meant more to me than ever. Since I was very young I have been used to sharing my home with members of my extended family. My parents were always taking in my cousins at any time of need in their lives and I never minded, since it was always nice to have their company. But this fall my cousin moved in with her husband, their five year old and their newborn. Since I was in college my little cousins took my room and all of my things were packed up in boxes. Now when I go home I don’t have a place to go to do anything. When I came home crying that night there was nowhere for me to have privacy—I felt lost in my own house. It still is upsetting for me to think about my living situation, however I have realized more than ever exactly what home means to me. I have found home in both my family and my friends. Just because I do not have my own room and am not necessarily at ease in my house as I was before, does not mean that I cannot be comfortable around my family. I enjoy spending time with my little cousins and still feel at home just hanging out with my parents and siblings. It doesn’t matter that my actual room isn’t mine; all that matters is that I am with the people that I love. This also applies to my friends. I do not have to be at my house at all to feel at home. Just being with those I care about is enough for me to have those feelings of home.
Word Count: 345
Point: Realizing that home is not something tangible, but rather the feelings associated with it.
