A House is not a Home

Ever wondered why homelessness is not called "houselessness?" The root of both words are nouns. Neither are plural. It's not like the word homelessness rolls off the tongue with poetic splendor. I might even argue houselessness has more of an alliterative ring to it. I suppose in the grand scheme of life, this is really a non-issue and I'm just quipping over words. But it got me thinking, which is quite the task during college football season.

House seems to imply a physical structure: nails, wood, mortar, stone, electricity and a whole lot of other things I am confused by when I visit Home Depot. A home is impersonal and lacks intimacy or tradition. It's another name for an empty building which is why people go house-hunting. There is no sense of history reverberating through the halls. No scuff marks tracking up the floors or smudged fingerprints staining windows.

Home implies an environment: security, longevity, happiness and a lot of other things I experience anytime I visit my favorite burger stand. It's another name for a lived-in place which is why you see tacky doormats proclaiming "Home Sweet Home." If you close your eyes and listen intently, you will hear echoes and laughter and footsteps bounding down staircases and hallways. There is a story attached that grows grander and larger with each passing day. Generations nestled into a common structure.

Hmm... Being homeless is not the same as being houseless.

When a person is homeless (as opposed to houseless), they lack more than a place to live. There is an absence of comfort that accompanies and plagues a person by robbing them of everything that is attached to a home. The emotional aspect is a searing reminder that not having a home is much more dire and horrific than not having a house.

Thank you for supporting Samaritan House and our ongoing mission to help people get through their difficult circumstances. Because of you and your generosity, we can keep the lights on and food in the pantries. Your help does not go unappreciated or unnoticed. It is heartbreaking to imagine a life without pleasant memories or an expectation that the future will be better than the past. Losing a home can be emotionally crippling and has far-reaching ramifications that eclipse just checking into and staying at a shelter. Being homeless entails losing more than just a mailing address.