The Meaning of Home

October 19, 2016 5 Comments

Category: Home Life
Tags: Home, Meaning of Home

Have you ever taken a step back to think about what home means to you? The answer may surprise you, as it has for me.

Take a look inside to learn about what makes our home, home.

Our home plays an important part of our family and represents a lot more than just a place to live. So, I wanted to dig a little deeper and try to articulate what our home means to me. Before I do, I’m going to take you back to where it all began.

I’m so fortunate to look back at my home growing up and think of the impact it’s had on my life all these years later. I remember it perfectly – it was a beautiful red brick home in Lincolnwood, a neighborhood next to Chicago. There was nothing particularly lavish about it but it represented family, values and traditions. I can still remember Christmas mornings with my brother sitting on top of the staircase waiting impatiently for Santa to finish delivering our gifts. I had so many wonderful memories there and realized that it’s helped establish the weight I place on our home now.

When my parents divorced, I was about 11 and we all moved into the city. Since that point, I’ve been lucky enough to live with both of my parents and even California and Australia before settling into several Chicago apartments in my twenties. But with moving into 10ish places in the last 20 years, I’ve never felt like I had a true home base again until Bill and I bought our house. All of those moves have given me an appreciation for the stability and comfort of a lifelong home and made me want to make it as warm and inviting, and as beautiful as possible.

An Inviting Home

There’s no other way of saying it except I’ve always wanted to have the home that people wanted to go to. Warm, comfortable and the hub for birthday celebrations, football games and holiday traditions. Hosting these occasions brings me a lot of happiness and sharing these fun and memorable times with our friends and family is the root of it all. I’m a firm believer in upholding traditions and creating new ones too, and love that our family gets to do that here.

A Beautiful Home

I’m a little embarrassed to admit it but I take a lot of pride in how our home looks. As much as I appreciate the look of a well-designed and decorated space, I’ve also aimed to make our home approachable and cozy (especially with a baby now). I’ve incorporated personal touches like our gallery wall and lots of plants, flowers and pillows for warmth. I find the process of decorating to be therapeutic and love a good home project challenge – especially since I’m usually working on a budget.

A Loving Home

By far and away what I value most about home is what it’ll represent to Chloe and what it means to Bill and I now. It’s a place where she’ll always feel safe and secure, and loved tremendously. It’s where she’ll grow, laugh, learn and even cry. It’ll be a place for many “first times” and countless memories. I’m so grateful for the life we’ve built and more importantly for those who we have in it.

What are some of the things you love about your home? I’d love to know what your home means to you.