There’s a wonderful Yiddish word which I love, called “haimish”.  It usually refers to one’s home.  It loosely translates into something which is homey, cozy and friendly. 

I get such a deep feeling of warmth and satisfaction when someone enters my home for the first time and uses that word to describe how they feel about my home. When someone says my home is haimish, they’re not commenting on how it looks but how it feels.I would feel a sense of loss if someone didn’t feel haimish in my home, no matter how impressive or unimpressive it looks.

One can have a mansion and feel proud when people enter and say how impressive or gorgeous it looks. But it’s only that, it’s simply appearance. It’s superficial. Someone can spend exorbitant amounts of money on fixtures and furnishings and feel a sense of pride in their home, but it’s a shallow feeling unless their home is also haimish. If both exist, they’ve achieved the best of both worlds.   

Where you live is not just an apartment, a bungalow, a house or a mansion. It’s your home. It’s where your spirit should be at peace. Don’t feel shame if it doesn’t look fancy or impressive. Just make it haimish and you can feel good about your home, just as others will when they are in it.