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A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME

"Is a house always a home?" is almost a hypothetical or theoretical question. My gut says yes but my heart says no. "Since home is where the heart is," I have to say that ultimately the answer is no.

A house is a physical structure that provides shelter while a home is an almost spiritual dwelling. During my nearly fifty-four years of life I have lived in both houses and homes. The homes that I have lived in are places that I want to go back and visit again while the houses that I lived in I could really care less if I ever saw them again.

My wife and I like to take drives and look at other houses in the area but when we take those drives and see those houses I often wonder if the inhabitants consider the house to be a home. Sometimes I will look at a house and say, "That's a nice looking house." At other times I will look at a house and say, "That is a fine looking home." It is as if just by looking that I can tell a house from a home.

When I think of a house I think of a place to sleep in and eat in. When I think of a home I think of warmth and comfort. I can live in a house but I want to live in a home. A house is somewhere that I might live in while looking for a home.

I suppose that any house can become a home but when we went looking for a new place to live fifteen years ago I was looking for a home more so than a house. We looked at numerous nice houses with lots of amenities but ultimately chose the home that we are living in today because it just felt right.

What separates the two are the previously mentioned spiritual and comfort factors. When I visit the home of a friend I feel a connection between the home and the owner. If I visit a friend's house that connection is missing.

When I think of a house I see bland uniformity throughout. When I think of a home I see rooms tailored to the homeowners style. Each room in a home is an expression of the person living there. As you move through a home you sense a flow. Each room tells you something different about the inhabitant. A house tells you absolutely nothing. A house is a blank canvas, a home is an artist's canvas full of color and design and appeal.

Houses are cold, sterile and uninviting while homes are warm and infectious and welcoming. I don't expect to see a cat or a dog at a house or a play area for children but with a home I kind of expect all of them.

A house lacks emotion while a home stirs and stimulates the emotions. A house has no memories or reminders of the past while a

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