A building built for habitation is the definition of a house. What makes that house a home? My sister found her home with my family when she was about three years old. We were the fourth house she lived in, and the fourth to care for her. My sister started her life in foster care. She left the hospital, not in the arms of her mother but nestled in the carrier of a stranger. She had needs that made her life as an infant challenging. Meanwhile, my family had just completed the process and licensing to welcome kids into our house. Providing them with safety, comfort, and a temporary family who would forever hold them in their hearts. The excitement my younger brother and I had when the first baby joined us was special. What a strange thing it was too, this little human we did not know but loved instantly. When she left to go back to her family 6 months later, though joyous it was heartbreaking. We missed her. It wasn’t long until we received another call for another baby. I remember being excited, but I knew the end result would make us sad again. My parents would remind us, that we are here to love them unconditionally, and to show them care. During this time my sister was in the third house of her 9-month life. The baby with us quickly became a part of our family, learning to walk, and saying first words. We knew though this was temporary, she would return to her family, and we were happy for her. That Christmas my brother and I visited Santa and asked for a gift that he could not deliver and placed under a tree. We asked for a forever sister, a sister who needed someone to love her forever. Santa chuckled with a jiggle and told us of the elves he and Mrs. Clause loved and raised over the years, and made a promise of “he would see what he could do.” Well, he came through with his promise and in February we got a call about a little girl, who was special and had some needs but needed a forever family. We knew the minute we met her that she was always meant to be with us. Our current baby had been reunified with her family, and slowly but surely my soon-to-be sister moved in. In May the following year, our house was no longer temporary for her it was her FOREVER home, and she was FOREVER our sister. So what makes a house a home? It is the love that goes into it, the family that is built to occupy it, and the memories made in it.
