by Susan Lower

Created on: October 18, 2008   Last Updated: October 21, 2008

Less than a year ago, I searched the housing market for the perfect house for my growing family, but always walked out disappointed. Almost every house I viewed brought with it great potential and great disappointments. Then I realized a house is just a house. It isn't until a house is occupied, filled with the people and things we hold dear, that it becomes a home.

A house becomes a home because we give it our personality, history, and inspirations.

Each, and every time, we invite someone into our home, we are inviting them in through the doorway of discovering the most intimate part of us our personality. When we think of personality, we often think of the way we dress, the manner in which we encounter people, and the cherished moments we hold close to heart.

Our homes undertake a transformation when we add all the things we love best. This includes the colors we choose, the furniture we place in a room, and the items we set out on display for viewing. A photograph says a thousand words, a favorite lamp stand holds a book currently being read, and the pillows, now tossed at the corner of the chair, say more about us, then we would ever image needing to tell someone.

From the moment we claim our spaces, call them home, we begin to create history. Perhaps our home's history, started before we moved in, becomes important to us, and we strive to preserve it. We make memories, share stories, and remember places and events. All those things absorb into the walls and linger in the atmosphere. Those memories whisper to us at night and greet visitors at the doors.

Deep inside all of us, we have hopes, dreams, and aspirations. All these things create the inspiration of our soul and infuse themselves into the place we call home. These qualities develop over time. As we discover ourselves, our likes, our dislikes, our homes will adapt to our personal life styles. It's just like choosing an acceptable hair style and suitable clothes. Our homes are forever a work in progress.

Remember, a house is just a house, but a home is a reflection of who we are and who we aspire to be.

Next time you walk into a room of your house, look around, and discover what it says about you. Perhaps, like me, you'll find you're looking at someone else's house. Start with your own unique style and let your personality, history, and inspirations guide you. There is no better time, than now, to start making your house a home.

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