Homeownership is a common aspiration in life. The dream of owning a home wraps up into a multitude of ideals, and those vary for every individual with a tailored list of wants and needs. As we age, this dream evolves and as it evolves, so do we. Where is your happy place? What gives you a sense of security? What does “coming home” look like to you? Has your vision changed? Home is an atmosphere with an energy that can’t be denied, it builds itself within us, and we tie it into the structure of walls that have an ability to protect it.
‘WHAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF SECURITY?’
My list of wants and needs in order to feel secure began developing when I was a little girl. I would spend hours lying in bed with my eyes blinking in the dark, waiting for the sun to rise up into my window blinds. My young imagination keeping me on high alert for “monsters” that hid in the corners of the night. My ears strained to hear any faint sounds out in the living room or footsteps coming down the hall. I would hope another family member was still awake, their silence keeping me still, until I was sure it was safe enough to get out of bed.
I tiptoed quickly in my purple fuzzy onesie down the hallway, my eyes as wide as I could get them, to see through the darkness. I used the restroom and held the light switch in my hand a few seconds longer than normal; I stood peering into the depth of the trailer, bracing myself for the return. I noticed something that was large and covered up on the kitchen table by a white flowery sheet. What was it? I had listened to my mom’s sounds of frustration out in that kitchen, earlier that evening, as she was preparing for the holidays. What had she created?
‘WHERE IS YOUR HAPPY PLACE?’
The brisk morning finally arrived. I continued to question what was under that sheet. It held my curiosity until late morning when my mom finally said, “Faith, go ahead and remove the sheet off of the table.” I realized it was something she had made for me! I scurried into the kitchen with an elated smile on my face. My heart beating with pure joy as I gasped in surprise; she had built me my very own first dollhouse, “Thank you, mom!”
I wanted to shrink like “Honey, I shrunk the kids,” that way I could live in it. I wanted to climb those stairs for the rest of my life, look out those windows and ponder the world outside. I immediately began to decorate the rooms with my toys: my tiny baby dolls and their parents, the beds and the lamps, the tables and dressers, the fridge and the baskets, the puppies and kittens, the television and the telephone… I brought it to life in my mind, it was my fantasy and my escape; when nobody wanted to play with me, when I was having a bad day, when I wanted to dream of where my life could take me once I was old enough to make my own way. I had turned a dollhouse into MY first home.
‘HAS YOUR VISION CHANGED?’
My idea of homeownership as a child manifested as that dollhouse, sitting right inside my bedroom for years to come. As I aged that dream evolved of course, and my list of wants and needs redeveloped. I was in search of something more; it was time to create another version of happiness, it was time to find another form of security, it was time to truly ponder the real world outside and seek a new place to call home. I will always remember the first dollhouse that my mother gave to me. It was the first glimpse of a homeowner’s paradise that I could see inside.
A true vision never ceases to expand and honestly, my vision didn’t necessarily change, it just grew into something better suited for the life ahead of me. It’s the little things we find a sense of magic in that keep us pursuing a lifestyle that we only dreamt of in our youth. As an adult now, I hang onto those original dreams even if they have been skewed by my current reality. I still see an opportunity to make those visions come true on some level, whether the shape has changed or not. I still believe in finding what I had wished for, and now I acknowledge the power I have within myself to manifest them.
‘WHAT DOES COMING HOME LOOK LIKE TO YOU?’
“Coming home,” is my favorite part of my day. It’s the list of completed tasks resting behind me at the office; a career I love and look forward to returning to in the morning. It’s the rush of my boys’ innocent faces when they make eye contact with me, smiling and asking me how my day was before I get a chance to ask them about theirs. It’s my house key turning in the front door lock while my pretty blue parakeet chirps behind it, in dire anticipation of seeing us again. It’s the pleasing aroma of a dinner recipe cooking in the crockpot, a glass of red wine touching my lips, and music soothing my tired soul.
What I have come to realize is that “home” is not just a place but rather a feeling of connectedness that only the right place holds. We bring home with us, we store it in our hearts, and we release it in our passions. We share it with the ones we love, the ones we admire, the ones we confide in, and the ones we aspire to be like.
‘THE DREAM OF HOMEOWNERSHIP.’
At Amherst Madison, we value the pursuit of homeownership, and we sincerely promote it. We understand the passion and drive it takes to search for it, and the intricate process of closing in on it once it’s within your reach. We are aware of the variables that differ for individuals, the challenges one may encounter or be concerned with, and the depth of commitment it requires to take the leap. We know that deciding to buy or sell a home can be stressful and exhilarating, all at once. It is by far, one of the biggest transactions you will make in your entire lifetime, but we are committed to making sure it’s the right fit for you and your family.
We would love to help you find your dream home! We have some free resources to help you prepare for buying and/or selling a home. We are here to answer any questions you may have. Connect with one of our trusted advisors who can simplify the process while you seek that perfect structure of walls you have been looking for, with the ability to protect what having a “home” means to you.
Published: December 3, 2021
By: Faith Malloy