What does the word home mean to you?
For most, it probably has ties to a certain place, maybe a childhood house. They can picture the wooden front door and the welcome mat in front of it. Even more, they remember the particular smell of that house; how their mother made banana pancakes every Sunday morning or the scent of their freshly washed sheets. They can hear the humming of the fan at night and the voice of a stressed father on the phone. For most, a home is a long standing structure they are able to return to again and again for comfort, knowing that it will be there each time they feel homesick.
For most, a home can mean the world as it houses memories and objects which remind us of the people it was once filled with. However, over time, we all lose a home; shed it like an old skin in place of a fresh space. A home becomes transient and we are able to nurture our old memories while creating new ones.
Each time we are placed in a new set of walls , along with the moments and people that come with it, we take our time becoming comfortable with it; making a house a home. Through family photographs, travel souvenirs, and chipped mugs, we slowly but surely use our space as a shield to protect ourselves from the scary outside world. In this way, we never really lose our home… we simply pack it into our suitcase as we travel through the different phases of life. Places become our home, but so too do family, friends, and pets.
What happens then, when a place you so cherish as a representation of these things is suddenly ripped away? That is exactly what happened to those living in the city of Lahaina, Maui the night of August 8th. When news like this hits the front page, it truly brings to the light the ephemerality of everyday life. The sense of comfort one creates is always an illusion, and we have to be grateful for each moment we have with the places and people we get to call home.
As I continue following the updates on Maui wildfires, I am shocked by the rising death toll and video footage. With news traveling so rapidly around the world, I try my best to keep up with current affairs. Still, some events can be difficult to understand or follow. The one thing that always strikes a chord, however, is hearing real human experiences. It is devastating to hear the stories of families fleeing their homes, leaving behind everything they know, and some even diving into the ocean to escape danger.
Being the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history, those of us unaffected sit back and watch as if an episode of the History Channel. But this is not history, it is happening in the present… which means that we can still help.
This weekend, I will leave the place I have called home for the past eighteen years. At the end of any long day though, I know I will have a place to return to. I have the privilege of being able to toggle between two homes while thousands out there are struggling to hold on to one. Today, I urge you to recognize how lucky you may be to have a house, let alone a home, and give back to a community in distress hoping to return to theirs.
Happy Helping
“When you start giving, instead of getting, you make a difference”
-Roy T. Bennett
RESOURCES TO HELP VICTIMS OF THE MAUI WILDFIRES
- Maui Nui Strong
- Hawai’i Community Foundation, Maui Strong Fund
- American Red Cross of Hawaii
- Feeding America (Hawai’i Wildfires Disaster Relief)
- Maui Humane Society
chocolate and politics 