Where I belong.

The place where I belong. The place where I belong is where everyone can feel safe and secure. The smiles on everyone’s faces shining like a saturated sunset, warmly welcoming you into the place where I belong. The place where I belong is where a familiar tongue fills the air, Filipino being spoken without a care like a familiar tune that everyone knows. This tune is where I come from, what’s in my blood, and the language I speak. Language fills everyone’s ears with pleasure, making us smile greatly, and making us feel safe. The place where I belong is decorated with familiar pictures. All the pictures smile back at you, filling you with determination and safety. Every time I glance back at the pictures, I remember the soft and warm past when I spent time with my family. The pictures reflecting off of the warm light, the dust evidence of past joy. The most recent pictures remind me of the fun I had while it lasted, before it all ended for new adventures to come. The place where I belong smells like the familiar scent of my dad’s spaghetti cooking, and the soft scent of my mom’s lavender perfume. Sometimes it smells like the scent of the many books in my room, the ink filling my nose with remembrance. The familiar scents make me feel gooey and fuzzy inside, sometimes feeling like a soft airy hug from my family right before a warm welcoming hello. The place where I belong has familiar people that make me smile. Like my weird but kind brother who makes me chuckle and playful, my kind & determined mother who makes me feel safe, and my playful warm father who makes me feel joyful. The place where I belong... Is home.