You know. I've always pondered over what makes a home a home. The obvious answer is the people. The more obvious answer is the feeling you get when you step inside a new home-one that is not your own and then perhaps that image of home actually becomes sharper. When you think about this question in the context of your own home, sometime our thoughts of this question become muddled with our own thoughts of what home should be. And then we aren't really paying very close attention to the home of another. 

We visited a dear friend today who was hosting a house-warming party and even before stepping inside you could just tell the sense of home this individual felt. For everyone, the vibe of home is not a stylistic element but a feel. This home in particular welcomed all and screamed nature and cozy and comfortable and humble and existing not to impress but to warm and earthy and hidden-a bit of hope with a bit of humor and undeniable character. But I think if you look at the home of another, you can also feel the type of relationship it is and what that family values. The minute you step in the door you can decipher whether the family enjoys close quarters or space, open windows or small crevices, earthy floors or comfortable carpets, large decorations or small symbols of life, people or places or maybe both, a wanted lived-in comfort space or a space to entertain, a home for large groups or small friends. 

A home is a home only when you begin to see the answers to these questions in every home you visit-whatever the people you may meet. You can find out a lot about a person based on what their feelings are about this question. There is no wrong answer. Because a home is a home to whomever lives there. It is our duty to see the various definitions of home and pull them into our own familes and teach them to the next generation of individuals who will one day be looking for there own true home and then wonder, "What makes a home a home?" Because even by asking this question and pondering it and turning it over and over again, you are breaking down walls and removing previous barriers. Before you go to bed tonight, think about what makes your home a home. And then think about another home you have visited and all of its nuances and beauty and think about the gifts inside that particular home (that you do not have quite yet in your own definition.) Work with it. And mold it. And appreciate it. There is never a wrong answer when it comes to thinking about exactly what makes a home...a good home. Then, how will you shine your light of your home on others? Will they see it through the window? Will they be given a candle? How will they know your home is an inviting space? How will they know they are welcomed?