Home is where the heart is

I have recently noticed two crows building a nest on my neighbour’s chimney. They spend hours every day collecting twigs to make their little nest a home in preparation for laying their eggs and hopefully hatching out a new family. Even when two larger birds (some sort of gull) spotted the nest and seemed to claim it, these two love birds nervously stood their ground, waited for them to leave, then continued building their home. This got me thinking about our own homes.

From huge renovation projects to the humblest abodes, it seems we are a nation of home lovers. Looking around, that seems to be true. It is clear that building or making a home, and all that that means, is important to us. A home is often much more than bricks and mortar in what it represents and can mean different things to us all. It is family (in all its forms), it is memories, it is togetherness, it is something shared, and it is somewhere we hopefully feel safe. It is a symbol of who we are and how we belong.

From mansion to molehill, town to country, wherever we live, our home is a place where we should be able to just ‘be’. Be safe. Be loved. Be ourselves. Be accepted.

Of course, sadly, I realise that this is not the case for many people, here and around the world, and for varying reasons. However, we can only hope that some day soon, ALL will be able to have a safe place which they can call ‘home’.

For now, though, I will continue to observe these two birds building their nest and look forward to seeing the next generation of fledglings in the coming months.