Home is why I started writing this blog. I love the beams and floors……the wood and concrete, but I love the what happens here the most. Time spent living life with family and friends is what makes me happy. For all of you who read the blog “Bittersweet Goodbye” you know that we do a lot of living in our house. The new farmhouse has been a blessing to all of us, but it is still the love of family and friends that we fill the house up with. So I wanted to see what high school seniors think that home is. That’s why I decided to have an Essay Contest.
This is such a treat to share with you all the Sweet Flower Home Essay Contest Winner! It was offered to graduating Seniors at Buckeye Union High School. They had to write a two page essay on “What Home Means to Me”. We received some really thoughtful, wonderful descriptions of home as well as community, entries but one stood above the rest. The winner of the $300.00 scholarship is Genesis Solares. This young lady stood above the rest in her honest description and heartfelt gratitude for the home that she was raised in.
Genesis wants to major in Bio medical Sciences at Northern Arizona University in the fall. She has been on the Honor Roll, won the FBLA Leadership Award and the Community Service Achievement Award. Genesis has also been involved with community services such as Feeding My Starving Children, Feeding the Homeless and EMC Thanksgiving Event.
I hope you enjoy reading this Essay by Genesis Solares titled “Home.” I think you will be moved and inspired by it!
“What Home Means To Me”
Home-what many consider a place to simply sleep eat, and live in, means so much more to me. It represents sacrifices, the culmination of hope, a place for love, and my motivation and inspiration to pursue a college career. My Home was constructed from before I took my first breath, rooting from my parents’ motivations and sacrifices, Home started to take it’s shape.
It started from a small town nestled in the hills of the beautiful state of Sinaloa, Mexico. My journey into this country began when my mother was five months pregnant with me. The violence in the small town she lived in was on the rise. The drug cartels in the region were growing and gaining power, and the townspeople had started to leave the quaint little town they called home. It was then a change needed to happen, a change that would benefit the well-being of a young family.
My parents spent every penny they had to pay for lawyer’s legal services to initiate the naturalization process and move 825 miles away from their home. They packed their belongings and started their journey north of the border. They arrived in Arizona with three small children and one on the way, a heart full of hopes, and their American dream of a better future for us. My father has been my biggest influence as he’s taught us to work hard for what we want as we live in the land opportunity. Through hard work he has provided a roof over our heads and put food on the table. Witnessing all the sacrifices my parents have made for me sparked, and to this day fuel, the dream to provide for them as they have for me and my siblings. We have experienced hunger, present less Christmases, and days when hardships brought our spirits down. Nevertheless, they never failed to provide us with love and fill our hearts with warmth.
Regardless of their financial situation, my parents always put our Home first. They made sure in it we always experienced joyful laughter, compassion tender care, and above all love. The small 1000 square foot home has open doors to everyone. The once small children now have children of their own. We crowd the living room and kitchen, yet we continue to savor the sweet and fulfilling embrace of the brick walls decorated with pictures of our childhood.
My Home is where my parents are. The place where my aging parents sit together, hand in hand, admiring the family they’ve created. Where I know I can always go for a loving embrace, wise advice, to savor a delicious hot meal, or to simply sit and see my parents smile as I share my dreams and hopes with them. Home is where I spend my free time playing with my nieces and nephews, and I get to see the world through their innocent eyes. It’s a magical place where little boys and girls play pretend.
If the walls of my home could speak they’d tell stories of many sad times and the times we have laughed until our stomachs hurt. They’d tell stories of so many dreams that have become a reality and those that are still out of reach. They’ve witnessed a young mother telling her five children she had already eaten as she served them the last morsel no food left in the pantry. They’ve welcomed a tired father as he returns from work after a long day working the fields. My Home is where my parents have given their all so we wouldn’t go without the necessities.
Home is a culmination of sacrifices. They have shown me my parents’ immense love for our family. As my parents age they won’t need to worry about providing me a Home, rather I will reciprocate the Home they have given me. By Genesis Solares
Wow! Can’t you just see her with her parents in their cozy home! I hope that all Genesis’ dreams come true!
I hope you were as moved by Genesis’ description of Home as I was. There are so many “things” in life we strive for but, the most important thing is not a tangible object but a deep feeling of love, security and belonging. Her Home has seen many sides to life even in her young life, yet she has been instilled with a vision to share what she has been given with others through her own hard work, honoring the sacrifices of her parents. Wouldn’t we all love to have a daughter like Genesis!
Sweet Flower Home is honored and humbled by Genesis’ story of Home. We would love to hear what Home Means To You in the comments!
Thanks for stopping by today!
Carrie
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