We Are Home

written by Dani Scott

I was excited, yet nervous to leave my family’s home and build one for myself. 

I second guessed my decision to buy a home because I “had” one…

Was this the right time, I asked myself, because she was in the hospital and he was stretched thin

I’ve never done this before. Can I do this? 

I didn’t know the answer to those questions, but I knew I was outgrowing those four walls….

The needs of me, of you, of we were calling

So, with a crooked smile from the excitement and nerves, I dotted every “i” and crossed every “t” on the closing paperwork and got the keys.  

I said “see you around” to one home, my childhood home, and “hello” to another I hoped we would create. 

One where shelter would consist of freely existing, creating, and building a home based off of my lived experiences, desires, and shaping within the home my parents built for my sister and I.

I had always envisioned a home full of color, not just physically but energetically. I grew up with shared meals and play, knowing my neighbors, and never really meeting a “stranger”. I knew I wanted to still have aspects of that and to experience more community from and through my home. 

A space that welcomed people of all walks of life, where we could come and go freely, feeling safe and like we belonged even amongst cultural and personal differences and even if just for a few hours. 

We.

We, because although I would be living there, I knew it wouldn’t feel like home if we didn’t exist.

That is indeed what is and has happened. 

From sharing butter and milk; to learning to cook; to cheers of wine for hours under sunny skies and sunset’s timing; to caring for one’s home, pet, and plants; to cries from shared grief and the nuances of life; to laughter from kids playing and dogs wrestling; to silent sips of coffee and tea; to meals shared, learning a new language, and experiencing new cultures; to freshly mixed drinks and toasty bonfires in backyards; to front porch exchanges of waves and smiles as people pass by; to walks with birds chirping, fur babies panting to play, and random talks with their humans that may just lead to the introduction of new genres of music you didn’t think you would enjoy; to the nourishment of a deep inhale and long exhale when you grab the just-poured cup of water, an invitation to go deep about life’s learnings after a long day of life-ing; to painted walls and shared home decor ideas; to leaving knowing your home is still present, still felt, still experienced because of what was built there. 

A home so colorful its beauty can’t be forgotten and essence lives forever. 

So grateful for the community I get to call home. One we built together.