Home for the holidays

Ted. It’s been about three weeks since Judy and I drove from Las Cruces, New Mexico back to Athens, Georgia in our good old reliable truck, Raymond. We will settle in here for three months to enjoy my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving as well as Christmas and New Years Day. We also have a couple of birthdays to celebrate. 

Folks have asked us if it is good to be home and that has caused me to think hard about what home means to me now. As nomads, we typically think that home is wherever we hang our hats. 

Is home just a place where we feel, safe, secure and relaxed? That usually happens to us after just a week or two. If we know our neighborhood and how to get around, we’re good. We have figured out ways to get to know local folks pretty quickly and enjoy making new acquaintances. 

So does that mean we are “home?” I searched the internet for a good definition of home and found one at the website for Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization for which Judy and I have volunteered for many years. When first time homeowners are asked what a home means to them, the responses are wonderful. Here’s my favorite: 

    “I think that home is simply wherever you’re surrounded by people who         love you.”             - Mary Kate