Where is Home

It is often said that home is where you hang your hat, or where the heart is. A place where you can be happy. Belle, in the musical, Beauty and the Beast was from a provincial town, and once she leaves this place, her freedom is taken from her and she is held against her will. She finds that her heart's far, far away-"Home's a lie."

Home is where she will spend most of her time. She'd give anything to return to what she called a dull town, and is sorry for the complaint. She thinks of her past, "home a memory". Enters the person Gaston, who is clearly in love with himself, yet proposes to make Belle his wife. Saying "she'll be my bride, She'll capitulate to me." Meanwhile, Belle is thinking, "So unweddable!" (Gaston, its all about him). He says to Belle, "Will you be a wife? Will you be some he-man's property?" "All roads lead to The best things in life are, All's well that ends with me! Escape me, there's no way, certain as do re Belle, when you marry Me!"

Both suitors, are beasts to Belle. The prince, who is made into a beast is judged as a selfish and unkind person, the enchantress saw that there was no love in his heart. The prince was offered a rose as a gift in return for shelter, with a warning, do not be deceived, that beauty is found within. The prince does not take the advice from the stranger, and ends up in Bells's words "mean, coarse and unrefined". As a curse is placed on him, the beast is given a chance for redemption. Before a last petal falls from the rose, he would have to learn to love another, and earn their love in return, or forever be doomed.
The beast seeing through his own eyes grew to dispair. (This is probably the disposition of most of us. We are never good enough, rich enough, smart enough, handsome enough).

Gaston, who see Belle, as "Who's as beautiful as me," would not make a good husband for Belle as compared to the interactions between beauty and the beast. Examining the signs of love as they appear between Belle and the Beast are termed "New and a bit alarming." (Belle), "But there's something in him that I simply didn't see." (Love happens unexpectedly and over time).

Listen to some of Belles thoughts. "There's something sweet, and almost kind. And now he's dear and so unsure." And now the Beast. "She glanced this way, I thought I saw, and when we touched she didn't shudder. No, it can't be..I'll just ignore But then she never looked at me that way before."

Being together, they share a book, many looks, laughter, dinner and a dance. Belle finds her home. Belle asks the beast, "Don't you know how you've changed me? I've found home, stay with me." The beast knows that Belle does not just see the beast within the man, but something deeper. He earned her love, and before the final petal fell, she told him that she loves him. The curse is broken. He is transformed back to the handsome prince.

There is no home without love, and that requires a humble heart and spirit which comes from within. You can be in the biggest house, have all the wealth in the world, or, perhaps you have very little. If your with the one you love and that loves you, you have everything. Home is where your heart is. And your happiness depends on it.