Home
July 27, 2008
“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you”
Home. Home is a beautiful word. I am overjoyed to be home.
I have been home for a while, but I needed time to recover from my vacation. My family traveled to Oregon for a professional conference. We then traveled like madmen from Oregon to Iowa in just over two days. We then spent all day everyday with friends and family. We had a nice time, but we were looking forward to a slower, quieter drive back to Oregon before flying home again. We were planning to travel in 10 days what was traveled in two the week before.
On the next to last day in Iowa, I received news that a dear friend was in the hospital and that she would likely die. After speaking with her husband, I decided to rush back home. We rushed back to Oregon and flew home. We were able to get our tickets changed and rush to her bedside.
The outlook was grim. She and her husband have three wonderful children – all under the age of thirteen. I spent a lot of time with her husband and both sets of grandparents. My family took the kids to some kid places and gave the adults time to talk and make tough decisions.
In the end, this dear lady passed from this life into the presence of her father in heaven.
This is part of the reason I took some time before writing here again. I have been emotionally wrung out. My grief serves to remind me of the heavy load carried by her husband and children. After travel and then a season of grief, I have returned home and taken time to rest.
As I was preparing for this entry, I came across the quote above. This is so true. I am from a little town far removed from what many may consider civilization. The world I traveled was definitely not home. I did not understand that world and it did not understand me.
People try to live life so fast. The pace of a small town is relaxed and slow. People are surrounded by people and yet so lonely. The people in a small town notice and have time for one another. When a lady dies a family can suffer alone. In a small town, everyone grieves and everyone wants to speak words of comfort and lend a hand.
I do not understand how some people choose to live. I am so happy to be back where things make sense and people care about one another. I am overjoyed to be home.
