A Story of Home

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in P.E.I. She had a beautiful house, but then there was an immense tornado and it blew her house down. She made a shelter for herself in the green woods to stay warm and safe. One day near her shelter she met an old man in ragged clothes. When they started to talk to each other, the old man found out that the little girl’s home had been blown down and said “ A house is not a part of my life, I ain’t even have space for a knife! What was your little dwelling like, my spirited child?” The girl replied, “Oh, a house is different from a home! A house is made of bricks and beams, but a home is made of hopes and dreams.” “Oh is that so?”, asked the elder. “Why yes! A home is a place to be the real you, Where you can feel loved and happy, But also feel blue.”, Said the girl, sadly looking down at her feet, thinking of the memory of her little house. “Oh,” said the old man, “did you like your home?”. She replied, “Yes, it was lovely. If I could have one wish, I’d wish to have a home here with the butterflies, where you would live with me,” the girl told the elder. And then the old man smiled at her and left. The little girl sat under a tree, she looked up and thought, “What if I hum like a bee?” As she started humming, her heart was suddenly drumming. She looked forward and in front of her. Birds of all colours were chirping and tweeting with her. It was a bird orchestra. When it was time for the little girl to go to bed, she started to rub her head. “I wonder who that old man was?”, said the girl and fell fast asleep. Two days later the little girl woke up in a house. Standing in front of her was the old man! But he wasn’t wearing the ragged clothes that he had been wearing two days before; he was wearing shiny wizard robes! “You’re a WIZARD?!?” , exclaimed the surprised girl. “Yes, I am. I knew all along that your home had been blown down and I was testing your kindness to see if you deserved a new one.” , said the wizard. He continued, "I have a home, but as you can see, all I wanted to do was to find a place where you could be!” “Oh, thank you so much! You granted my wish!” , said the little girl happily. “And that’s not all," said the wizard, "you still haven’t seen the rest of the house!” When the little girl explored the rest of the house, she said, “With a home like this, sadness is the size of a mouse”. Inside the house the girl found another room, and in there she found a wizard’s broom! “And you live here too!” exclaimed the child. “ That’s just what I wanted!” “Well, of course I would live with a child like you, in this beautiful home you bring happiness to!” While the girl and the wizard now live out in the forest happily, in many cities, there are still many unlucky people that we need to help and respect so that they can also have a home. We thank Habitat for Humanity for using their creativity to build houses that then become homes for those people who are out there alone,. in the streets, or under some small booth. It is sad, but it’s the truth. Now it’s time to end our story. Let homes bring us all some glory!