Home

Most English words have several meanings, which is what makes it so difficult to learn as a second language. But it is also what makes it so special.

The word "home" takes up 3-1/2 inches of space starting on page 371 of my Oxford Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus (American Edition-1997). There are six definitions of "home" as a noun, plus several definitions of the word as an adjective or verb, a nice selection of synonyms, and some idioms and phrase examples.

In this fabulous book, the first definition of "home" is a noun - "a place where one lives; fixed residence". Well, I guess you can have only one of those, since it is "fixed". But wait! There's more!

There are several definitions of the phrase "at home". Right now, I am living the first definition - "in one's own house or native land". But for the past week I was living the second definition - "at ease as if in one's own home".

While my Oxford Pocket Dictionary is helpful in describing what it means to feel at home when I'm not at home, words cannot adequately communicate the love I feel for the people in that home away from home that was my home for the past week. For it is the love that makes a home, don't you think?

Thank you M, C, S and M2. I love you. I'll be home again soon.