Where the heart is, by Belinda Jones

What home means to me
Home means those special people in my life - not just those who live in our house but all those who frequent our home. Home is Josie my dog and Louie and Lil my cats. Home is open 24/7 to my nearest and dearest when they need some time out or a sympathetic ear; both of which are given willingly knowing the same exists for me from each and every one of them.
Home is ugg boots, no make-up and tangled bed hair. Home is Josie sidling up to me for a scratch behind the ear; 1 or 2 cats on the bed who will often wake me at some ungodly hour for some love - a pat, a scratch, a cuddle. Home houses the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.
Home is an environment that has been carefully crafted over many years; comfortable, functional and pleasing to the (my) eye. Home is a sanctuary from the outside world where I feel balanced and whole; where I can recharge and get ready to face the challenges of the following day.
Home is free from negativity and arguments where people are free to come and go as they please. A place where people are always happy, loving and where there is frequent laughter. Home is where I often sit and reflect on how lucky I am for everything in my life.
Home is warm and safe and always has a well-stocked beer fridge. A place where visitors are always warmly received and know they are welcome to whatever we can offer - from the fridge or pantry, sometimes a bed. Home makes me feel grounded and connected and a 'Fosters' a 'glass is always half full' outlook; even when it feels like I'm going backwards at a million miles an hour in my working day!
Home is sadly a place I spend far too many nights away from. I am reminded of home on those stints away by my beautiful friends. Spending time with such special souls, sharing a laugh and a drink makes the time away bearable. I'm not sure if they realise how much their company means to me or how grateful I am to have it. I have a lot of love for you.
It's cliché but home is definitely where the heart is...
What does home mean to you?


If you want to read more on what home means, check out:
Home by Sophie Rigney
Home, an update, June 2013, The Hague, Sophie Rigney
Where my family is, by One Girl
Where I decide to love, by the Other Girl
and the blog that started this whole thing off, Russell Kelly's 
Going Home: 6 signs my heart was telling me to come home to Hobart 
Belinda Jones lives in Launceston where she manages a major human services agency across the north and northwest of the state, except when she's waylaid in Hobart making deals and singing on her hotel balcony in her jammies.

Labels: