I have lived in NY my entire life; it will always be my home. It’s where I grew up, started, and continue to build a life for myself, and for that, I will be forever grateful. But that is not the only place I feel at home. I feel at home with my chosen family, my best friends.
The definition of home is one’s place of residence; that is, it is simple and, for many people, their safe space where they can relax and unwind after a long day.
I was texting with one of my best friends a few weeks ago, and I was saying how I hate hearing my voice in video, etc., because honestly, who does, and my bestie replied with this.
I love it! It sounds like home. This simple statement reminded me that home doesn’t have to be a location; it can be anyone or anything that makes you or someone you love safe, whatever that is for someone or yourself, that is home.
I believe (and think a lot of people would agree with me) that home doesn’t always mean a house; it can be chosen family, a community you belong to, people who make you feel safe and loved exactly for who you are and who you are becoming.
Think about it, millions of the LGBTQ+ community have, and will continue to find homes with safe people when their biological family doesn’t accept them for who they are. Often, they find that people with similar life experiences have similar outcomes and support one another as a result.
It’s not just the LGBTQ+ community that finds homes in people; immigrants often do as well, in their communities with others who have gone through the same experiences, seeking a better life for themselves and/or their families after moving to a new country.
I believe in society. Whenever we are searching for the right places to live, whether it be location accessibility, etc., whatever it may be that you’re looking for in a home, house, apartment, or complex. We want that homey feeling of comfort.
We will do anything to make it feel like home, buy all the things, paint over and over again, because it’s not right to rearrange furniture for the 100th time, because it just doesn’t feel quite right just yet.
Whenever we talk about home, we talk about a space and how we want to feel in that space when we step into it.
I get that I do, and that feeling is very valid, but a home is just a space, yes, it’s your space, but does it provide you with safety? Yes, to some extent. But does it make you feel loved, seen, and cared for? Not necessarily
People can do that far better than a space can in some cases, and that is perfectly fine and acceptable. I am not saying home can’t be a physical space; it can be, but it doesn’t have to be. Home can be whatever you choose to call it, as long as you feel safe, seen, and loved and cared for, that is what home is for you.
Featured image via Vlada Karpovich on Pexels
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