What is home?
In a life marked by constant changes and moving, the concept of "home" remains a fundamental part of our identity and experience. But what does home truly mean? For some, it evokes a physical space—a house filled with memories, laughter, and cherished belongings. For others, home is not just a location but a feeling—a sense of belonging that transcends walls and rooftops. It can represent family ties, cultural roots, or even a beloved community. In this article, WBFN members explore diverse meanings of home by sharing their definitions, poetry, and short writings. We are grateful for these varied perspectives that reveal the essence of home and its profound impact on our lives.
Fatima Bilal Paracha – (WBFN Pakistan)
Home is not a place,
not borders or walls—
it’s the hush of belonging,
the echo of laughter in chaos,
the warmth of solitude,
the light in quiet corners.
It’s where love is given freely,
where you are held,
even when you’re alone.
Home is a feeling.
Debra (WBFN Istanbul)
Home is where I have everything I need to be content: family to care for, friends to engage with, access to nature, and interesting places to explore.
Tea Pangemanan (WBFN Paris)
Home is a state of mind. It’s borderless and unconstrained by any limitations.
Maria Abousleiman (from Lebanon and I currently reside in Lima Peru)
Having spent most of my married life traveling from one country to another, home has acquired a totally different meaning to me. Every time we moved to a new country, that country became part of us, a certain version of home in its own right. Home stopped being a single place defined by walls or a nationality but the people within, the love and togetherness of family and warmth and loyalty of good friends. I would define home as any place in the world where you are surrounded by people you love and who truly care for you.
Susana Martins (WBFN Argentina)
What is home?
When life is in constant motion — crossing geographic, cultural, and emotional borders — the idea of home becomes something far greater than four walls. Home is where our affections are laid bare, where we feel safe enough to share joy, sorrow, memories, and achievements. It is the place where we care and are cared for — where we allow ourselves to be vulnerable.
For those working in fragile contexts, home becomes an invisible anchor. We move across continents, languages, and customs — yet we carry within us the deep need to create a space of emotional refuge. A place where children can grow with a sense of continuity, where emotional bonds take root, even in ever-shifting soil.
Our home is that unseen territory where our routines live, where familiar scents linger, where laughter echoes, where glances hold recognition, where touch brings comfort, and where even silence feels known. More than a physical space, it is a reflection of our inner world — our inner homeland — carrying the story of our lives and those of our ancestors, the habits and traditions we adapt and transform as we move through life and across contexts.
Home is the affection we carry with us, the bond we keep with those who walk beside us, even when everything around us changes.
And it is precisely there — in the ability to create warmth and belonging, even amid difficulty — that our greatest strength lies: to make affection our dwelling place. Wherever we may be, if there is love, understanding, presence, and intention, there will always be a home — essential for our mental well-being and emotional balance, and that of those we love.
Elizabeth Ilunga (WBFN Paris)
Home for me is where my heart is. Is a place where my family creates the best memories and where we feel safe and welcome.
Shreya Gaurav Joshi (WBFN Austria)
Home is not really about size, luxury and comfort but about where one’s heart is. In the vast expanse of the earth, home is one’s tiny kingdom of sorts - where one can just be oneself - as carefree and genuine as can be. Home is the space where our mind is without fear and our actions are confident. The saying in my mother tongue Gujarati describes home as that ultimate destination, to where one longs to return even after reaching the farthest boundaries of the world. This saying beautifully expresses the inner quandary of those who leave their homes for various reasons or of those who have to leave their homes in this globalized world.
Lydia Toisuta (WBFN Indonesia)
Home is where I feel at most peace, where there is clarity of self - all without needing to explain. Where the lull and noise are equally welcomed, the grounding forces when things are shifting. Home is the still point in all my turning.
Nathalie Abu-Ata (WBFN Madagascar)
For me HOME is a multidimensional word. Home is where my son feels happy and surrounded by friends. Over the years, with frequent mobility, home has become a mosaic of places filled with discoveries and new experiences. It is about meeting people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and building close connections with them. Ultimately, it is also about a readiness to accept enriching but transient and potentially short-lived relationships. Home is about being resilient and steadfast in the face of change.