the power of a home

ok, i'm going to admit it: this is the second time i've teared up watching extreme makeover home edition. dammit, this show is fabulous.



i have to say: i don't really watch the entire show... just the beginning when they describe why the family was picked and the end when they do the walkthru. it's all you really need - the middle section is pretty much the same every episode (people hammering, tearing things down and painting like crazy).



tonight's episode was about a dad who took in his 5 siblings when his mother was shot by a stray-gang-sent-bullet. Mind you he already had 4 children of his own -- bringing his total household occupancy to 11. Oh yeah, and he works for a non-profit. They actually tore down his house and built a new one from scratch. it was pretty incredible, but what put it over the top was the end when the dad said "[having this home will] make me a better man than i am" and this 35+ year old man was *crying* as he said this.



of course, i'm sure these homes aren't perfect. The kids might love living in dinosaur filled rooms when they are six, but i'm guessing the cool factor will dissapate by the time they reach 12... of course that happens in every household (as my sister well knows when she got moved into my strawberry shortcake wallpapered room once i tired of it....). but i think the idea of providing a comfortable place to live for families who have done extraordinary things is pretty cool.