Where is "Home"?

Last week in the newspaper there is a large headline that says "HOME FOR THANKSGIVING". It's the time again for the holidays and people traveling near and far to go "home" for Thanksgiving or Christmas. No matter what our age is, we always refer to "home" as to the parents' house where we grew up. At least most of us do that. Around the holidays, the family will get together and have a joyous family reunion and gathering.

Why do we call the place where our parents live or where we grew up "Home"? Don't we have our own "Home" after we leave our parents house, get married or live independently? My mother always asks me when will I go "home". I had always referred her house as my "home" until I realize that I have my own "home". Mind you, this is after I left "home" for more than thirty years and is happily married for over thirteen years.

The reason why we always refer our parents' house as "home" is because our relationships with our parents have never changed. We are still the children to our parents and have never changed the relationships to become adults to our parents. The parents feel that we are still the 7 years old and we still feel that we are the little children.

We are like lost children who do not have a "home" for ourselves and wanting to stay as children. Sometimes we want to be treated as children but sometimes we want to be treated as adults. This back and forth of children and adults creates a tension in our relationships with every relationship we have.

With the holidays coming and a New Year, it may be time to think about where "home" is. Do you have a "home" to go to or your "home" is at your parents' house?