I am honored to be one of the judges for the What Makes a House a Home Contest by Colleen Kulikowski and I have to say, the competition so far is great. The posts are excellent and the decision will not be an easy one. My post is not about Bend or a childhood memory of grandma's house but it is about something I think most people will agree is equally important.

What really makes a house a home? I'm going to put my own little spin on this and ask you, could a tent be a home? How about a cardboard box? Maybe a boxcar or the back of a car? I guarantee that all of these are someone's home tonight.

When we think of a home, we often think of the typical...three bedroom ranch style on a few acres, nice condo in the city, two-story farm house in Iowa, top floor suite in New York City...but what about all the other places many people have to call home? If you've ever been hungry or homeless or known someone who was, you'll appreciate what I am about to say.

Home is where the heart is, really. The luxury of four walls and a roof is just that, a luxury. Home could be a cardboard box, if that was all that you had. I have experienced some hard times in my life and I can tell you that houses come and go. Houses of all shapes and sizes and prices. I've had to pack up and move on to the next one more than once. I know what it's like to leave friends, schools, and the places I loved behind, but home was something we always took with us. We carried it in our hearts.

Things are much different in my life now but I often reflect on what made our home "home". A home is made up of so many things, the least of which is lumber and wires. Some of the things I think define every home are...... 

• Soul.....your thoughts, beliefs, dreams, hopes, aspirations, disappointments, struggles, fears, successes.
• Family.... the people you care about and who care about you.
• Friends...who share the good times, the bad times, the laughter and the tears.
• Children.... I can't imagine my home without my babies.
• Pets......in every way that they truly enrich our lives.
• Gratitude....for what we have, no matter how little or how great.
• Pictures.... the visual images of our journeys.
• Baking....the smells and tastes of something wonderful.
• Memories..... the most precious markers of our lives.

Like most good things in life, nothing on this list can be bought. Everything here is created from our own desire to connect with something deeper and more meaningful. A home is not about "what's in it" but what we bring to it. In my eyes, this is truly What Makes a House a Home, no matter where you are. 

What about you? What makes your house a home?