Maybe it’s just this wearisome winter or perhaps I’m growing soft with age, but I’ve been more emotional than an Olympic gold medalist lately. So when we recently rescued a shelter dog, speaking the words “You’re home now,” instantly choked me up.
Call us suckers for sympathy, since the sad faces in the dog cages were all it took to convince us we could provide a good place for a homeless companion. The innocent looking tent at the Fire and Ice Festival was filled with furry friends that most people simply glanced at or let their kids pet. But it was an older beagle, whom we named Lady that grabbed our attention. And despite no desire to add to the dog hair that covers the house, I oddly felt that this was something we were supposed to do.
To be honest with you, that first sentimental moment with Lady was not spurred on by a love for dogs. My tears were found in the wonder of fulfilling for Lady a longing we all feel. To know we are safe and loved, appreciated and honored is what we all yearn for. But our “home” is not always full of those good things as we hope. Being at home can be challenging, and not all abodes are warm and pleasant. We may even feel like a dog in a shelter cage, waiting for a true home.
If home is supposed to be where you live, then maybe home is not actually encased in bricks and drywall. It’s not set in a yard, requiring 3,000 square feet and flawless appearances. To truly live is to have passions, to engage in actions and to grow. Perhaps true home is actually mortared with compassion and encouragement that we build in each other’s heart. Your home is wherever you dedicate your life to, and that is where we live.
Our dogs are treated like dogs in our home. They don’t wear clothes or eat gourmet food. But we have decided in our life, there’s no reason to keep the joy of our home to ourselves. Feeling at home is valuable, and we shouldn’t take it for granted. Make yourself at home, wherever you go, and help others find peace and love too. To be homeless no more is a gift that is more precious than gold.
About Heidi Morris