Assignment 2:2
by maya sumel
Home – a four lettered word with a bigger meaning than describable. It means safety, security, a sense of belonging, having someone to turn to, somewhere to go when you need to take shelter.
So what does home mean to me? That is a difficult question to answer. From a young age the concept of a home was very abstract for me. My mom struggled with substance abuse, and still does to this day. This made the ideology of home a concept that I found difficult to grasp. All of my friends’ home life seemed relatively normal compared to mine, and I never felt like I could relate to them. When I was in grade three my parents ended up getting a divorce, which was very hard for my family. Today, I feel at home when I go home, but I can confidently say I did not always feel like that. I now live at home with my dad, stepmom, and siblings, and being surrounded by family makes me feel loved and supported every single day. But home does not have to mean you are with your family. Home can be with your loved ones too, or even on your own.
2019 was a year of change – I decided to apply for exchange to study abroad in Paris. I asked myself, “is this the best choice for you? Will you feel at home?”. I can confidently say it was the best option, but at the time, it was a difficult decision to make. Thinking of leaving the place I have called home for my entire life to go to a continent I had never been to was an extremely scary thought that I didn’t know was possible. A lot of time and thought goes into a decision to move out to another place, and learn to call a new place home. It takes a lot of courage, but I made the leap. I now consider France a second home, which was not an outcome I expected but am pleasantly surprised by it.
Having somewhere to call home is a privilege, but is often overlooked. Indigenous peoples have suffered from having their land stolen and most do not have a place to call their genuine home. This puts a lot into perspective for me, and makes me strongly believe that most of us take for granted the chances we have been given.
What I have learned over the years of moving around, living on my own, with my mother, my father, and even living in Europe for 4 months, is that home is where I feel safe. While I may consider this my home, I must remember it is not my land, and the unfortunate truth is that most people may not ever feel safe on their own land.
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