As a child, I would run all the way home after school as soon as the last bell of the day rang, wanting to make it in time for the beginning of the G.I.Joe cartoon. Because if you did not make it for the intro, you would not know what they will “make right” today, which was the most crucial part.
Maybe it was just the cartoon that encouraged me to run over a mile each afternoon, or it could be the need to have that safe place where I could kick my feet back and get lost in the world of “G.I. Joe.” As a child, I don’t think I even knew the reason why,
Now, as an adult, I drive frantically to get home; I run in the door, throw my keys on the table along with my laptop bag. And immediately feel a sense of security and safety as I did as a child. Within seconds, in my little world, everything is okay.
Even when we go away on vacation as a family for more than a couple of days, I am ready to head back home within a couple of days. Even if we are having fun on our trip, there is almost a relief or an exhale when we arrive home. The feeling that everything is going to be alright. I am home.
I have asked myself- Why is it when I am afraid, feeling sick, or sad that I want to be home? Maybe there is a simple answer or a more complicated version.
I can recall from one of my many lectures from psychology courses in college; a lesson about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. At the base of the pyramid, our physiological needs are expressed as food, water, shelter, rest. But as we ascend the triangle, our basic human needs take on a psychological component — humans need security and safety. Higher up on the pyramid are psychological needs — the need for love and belongingness, where we establish intimacy among friends and forge meaningful connections with one another.
In my opinion, there is a connection at every level of his hierarchy. But the association of belonging, our sense of being at home is highlighted.
So, home is that place that brings me comfort; I could call it my great big security weighted blanket because I know that I belong here. I know that I have value here. Being home is the place that brings me joy. It is where I can look around and see the love that this house holds for me, my family, and my friends. Whether it be the pictures of when the boys’ baptism or the curtains that friends helped put up while MacMichael was away on business. You can quickly see that you belong here if you are part of our group.
Or stop and listen. Listen to the boys playing upstairs and being brothers- the laughter and, of course, the squabbling. These things are what make a house a home. Love is everywhere and knowing that you belong. These are the things that breathe life into a home. These are the things that I am running towards.
This is why selling a house is not just about the sales price and moving dates. It is because “your home” is the place you have run towards for comfort for years, and it will change, which is scary. Of course, you know that the next house will bring you the same feelings, but how long will it take for the house to feel like home is what is really making us anxious about the whole moving process.
So, finding a Realtor who understands the emotional aspects of selling a home is just as important as one who understands the numbers to achieve a transaction that you feel the least amount of anxiety.