I am sitting on the front porch of my parent’s home writing
this listening to the faint sound of cars on one of the main streets in their
town. There are insects buzzing, leaves rustling but other than that it is
pretty quiet at their home, in my hometown.
Home is a funny word if you think about it. Some people talk
about it literally as the place where they dwell, that they drive to at the end
of the day or a place to keep things they buy. Others
say it abstractly and define home as if it is synonymous with family. Me, well I sit somewhere in the middle I
guess.
Home is where I can take my shoes off and stay awhile. Home is where I can be myself not worried about
others’ opinions or to do lists that always seem to be a mile long. Home is just simply that place where I am a mama, wife and daughter. Home is with my family regardless of town and I am happy to be home.
This girl gives the best hugs and when she does you don't want to ever let go.
We are settling in for the week at my parent’s home. It is not the home that I grew up in, where
the memories are deep in the walls, the basketball hoop on the uphill driveway has rust from one to many games of horse and my old room was covered in cork boards with pictures but it is home
simply because it's where my parents live, they welcome us with open arms and that is enough. Every time I leave my home and to go to their
home, this anxiety creeps in my body making me wonder if I am capable of making
the trip, doing the majority of the parenting while I am gone and if I should even leave my own
home where routines are familiar, there is a second parent and I am completely
comfortable.
Then I get here, I settle in and so do my kids. We fall back in to routines that are similar
to home, paw paw and mimi become their favorite playmates and I remember why I
miss this home.
Life stops or at least slows
down dramatically. And I finally feel
like summer vacation has begun. Maybe it's escaping the fast pace of the city that wears you on you eventually or
the fact that I can hear crickets chirp when I go to bed. Either way, I am relaxed, reflecting and
content at this moment.
The biggest dilemmas each day surround how we will get to
Starbucks, where to swim and eat ice cream and who is going to push Cate or water
the flowers.
My kids sleep better, my
mind is more at ease and I am better at reflecting and being grateful for all
the things I have instead of what I want. I miss my husband
when I am home remembering why he is my partner but know knowing he deserves a break and that he misses us. I also appreciate my parents. I appreciate them as parents knowing they fought the same battles I do- "No do not throw the blocks. It is nap time. We have read two books and now it is nigh-nigh time. We do not spit out our food after we jam twenty crackers in our tiny mouth." And I appreciated them as grandparents. Seeing them with my
kids is fierce reminder why our kids need their grandparents in their lives.
They are best buddies.
We are crossing things off that summer bucket list while we
are down here including the pool, the farm, the splash pad, the museum and fire station, But we are also just slowing down and I need it. It's good to be home.
My heart is so big reading this. I'm so glad for you. Enjoy it. The pics are awesome and I can see the happy.
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