Home Cliches: Home is Where the Heart is, But When is a House a Home?

There's a cliché that asserts that “home is where the heart is”. This may be true, but high sentiment aside, sometimes home is simply a place where you can relax on the couch and sleep, even as the children wreak havoc around you.

Let's break into a second cliché, and see what it is that makes a house a home. When asked this, people will likely answer with a great variety of requirements that would turn a structure into a good home: love, family, good people, happy memories, and so forth. Yes, there are probably as many definitions of “home” as there are people, and each would depend on what that person values the most.

Some would say that a home should protect those within—from nature, the weather, and any person or creature that has cause to do you harm. Others will claim that a good home must also nurture family relationships, and that regardless of where you live, be it a cramped apartment or a mansion, what's important is the interactions between those who live there. Finally, there are those who would say a place—even one without a roof, doors, or windows—where you are content is home.