"Home" is the place we love, the place we leave, and the place to which we return, whether in memories or by plane, train, or automobile.

With that word, "home," we are winging our way back suddenly to our roots and finding, perhaps, all we have sought and overlooked - right in our own backyard, as L. Frank Baum's Dorothy character in The Wizard of Oz discovered.

Swept up and over the rainbow by a cyclone taught Dorothy what was really important - but that's not likely to happen to most of us. Fortunately, there is no need for a storm, ruby slippers, or the clicking of heels for Newtown residents to realize "There's No Place Like Home."

That's the theme for the 55th Annual Labor Day Parade wending its way from the top of Main Street to the judges' stand on Queen Street this coming Monday, September 5, and it will be rich with all that makes Newtown home, sweet home. The end-of-summer parade is one of those annual events that draws Newtown together, with any adversities set aside for a couple of celebratory hours. Summer's exhilarating (and oftentimes, exhausting) moments left behind, we are ready to embrace the familiar again.

From antique homes, lovingly tended, that line Main Street and quiet lanes, and the lush beauty of The Pleasance, to the sweep of Ram Pasture encircling Hawley Pond; from an iconic hot dog stand to European-inspired cuisines, to the classic General Store; from rocky glens to state forests that frame lakes and rivers, to Holcomb Hill with its unparalleled vistas; a library that may or may not house a ghost and ancient homes with spirits of their own; parks and open spaces that welcome all to experience nature - this is part and parcel of Newtown's charm. It is home.

Music, theater, art, and literature enrich our lives. It is home.

Most of all, though, what makes Newtown "home" are the people. Generosity flows in times of need. Hundreds of volunteers fill our boards and commissions, lead our youth, and ensure continuing beautification of our public spaces. We have families that work hand in hand with schools to raise appreciative children who, in turn, pay it forward. Our faith ministry looks beyond differences to unite in similarities. Town meetings invite discourse on diverse issues affecting the town. We laugh together and we cry together - and we come together.

Among the thousands cheering on the marchers on September 5 will be longtime residents, newcomers, school alumni, former residents, friends, relatives, neighbors, and anyone who wants to call Newtown home for the span of the parade.

This year's Newtown Labor Day Parade theme reminds us what our hearts already know: There is no place like home; there is no place like Newtown.

Wear your emerald green on Monday, and be a part of the celebration.