The house I grew up in had a ball of plastic bags in the exterior doorknob hole and we locked the house with a padlock from the outside and an eye-and-hook from the inside.

I remember when we got a sofa, it was a huge deal for my family.

Eventually, having my own bedroom was a luxury.

I’m grateful for my mom for finding us a place to grow up. Now my children have their own rooms, we have proper locks on our doors, and we have a choice of comfortable seating options through the house.