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I have asked many of you what your definition of home is and what it means to you. There are many of you that I have not heard from. I would like to. You can either leave a comment here or email jessicaspaid@gmail.com or otherwise let me know :)


I have come to a conclusion. To find out what home means to someone is to find out about their heart. Their home is where their heart is most comfortable, satisfied, and longs to be. I would have to I received so many incredible answers to this question. I don't believe that any one answer can be better than another because that is to say that one person's heart is better. However, I would say that some of them moved me, my emotions, and even my view of home in such a way that it caused me to grow as a person. I think that is what is so beautiful about sharing things like this with each other.


I was pestering so many people with this question through Facebook chat. It wasn't until probably the fifteenth person that someone turned the question back on me. Then all of sudden I thought, "Oh my goodness! What do I think? I have been asking all these people and I don't even know what I think!" So I thought and thought and finally came up with an answer.


Home to me is where the heart is free. It is where you can express who you really are to the fullest extent. Its where it is okay to sing and dance and jump up and down and tell corny jokes and puns. It is where it is okay to sit with a mug on the porch and silently watch the horizon dance with the sun. Its where you all curl up in a king bed and watch TV. Its where your Moma sings Amazing Grace and rubs your back to help you go sleep. Its where your Daddy lets you sit on his lap and you can talk about life together. Its adventures into the woods just for the sake of spending time together. It's sleeping outside in your hammock and being checked on with hot chocolate mugs. It is sacrificial love; love that costs. It isn't a conditional thing. It is selfless and constant. It is where motivations are pure and unhindered. 


I also want to share a little bit about what I learned from my friends and family through already asking them this question. Almost everyone agreed that it wasn't necessarily a physical place. Everyone valued the ability to be themselves. Almost everyone based their definition of home on the presence of certain individuals, usually their family. Nearly everyone included and element of security. 
The element that stuck out each and every time was the ability to be oneself. Why is it that so many people place so much emphasis on this issue? Because to be oneself is to feel accepted and loved. Often the place where we can be most accepted and loved is home. We are surrounded by the people who know us best. They know our flaws. To love us despite this is an ultimate gift. Also when you are completely yourself, then you are allowing them to see and judge your very essence. To me, that is a very scary thought.  Nonetheless, it is a risk that I sometimes take.
Please send me your thoughts. I love you all and how you make me feel at home in many different ways.