The House that Built Me

I'm feeling a little nostalgic for my home and my parents. Who knows maybe it has something to do with my girls and all these firsts for them of late, the letting go and moving on a letting go some more, maybe it has to do with the loneliness and upheaval of my husband being 300 miles away on a daily basis, or maybe the fact that my Mom has been ill and I have been worried about her health...missing my Mommy. They say love makes a house a home and that home is where the heart is. I believe that. I grew up in a small house with 6 brothers and sisters, but we loved each other. It may not have been much to look at  but it was home. It is where I grew from a child to a woman. It is where I watched my sisters become my best friends and my brothers grow into men. It was where my Mom cooked and filled the house with warm breakfasts each day before walking us to school. It's the place where my dad played games with us. It is the house where my husband asked my Dad for my hand in marriage.It's where I first met my nephew/Godson. It's where I learned that my Grandmother had passed away. It's the warmth that enveloped me as I was pregnant with my first on Christmas eve of 2004. It's the place that was always filled with laughter , love and family. It was the place where my heart got broken the very first time.It's the place where I made my first friend ever.It's were my Mom could fix any heartache or disappointment with one of her special grilled cheese sandwiches.It's where I learned how to drive, when I was 13.  It's where the 15 ear old me looked out my back window to see my first boy friend.It's where I learned that Daddies can make nightmares go away and Mommies can cure boo boos with a single kiss. It's where I got into my first and only fight protecting a friends honor. It's the yard where I received my first hand hold and kiss. It's the place where countless birthdays and holidays were celebrated.It's the place I look forward to going and sitting on the porch with my parents, my brothers,sisters,nieces ,nephews,and my own children and having long chats as the birds sing amidst our urban home. A home is not the boards and mortar that compose it, it is the people and love that fill it! The home I grew up in is warm and comforting because of the wonderful family and friends that I have been blessed to share it with.

I love these people more than words can do justice. Just know, Mommy, Daddy, Carlos, Melissa, Bertha, Jose, Obie,Wayne, Bella, Gabs, Alex, Briana,Dominic, Luca, Jodie, Brian, Michael, Mikey, Carol, Dennis, Jeff, Uncle Wayne, Uncle Ramon, Uncle Narciso,Nikki, Nicole,Sarah, Jennifer you build me; You've lift me up and make me who I am. Thank you.