Where my boys are
A funny thing happened when I went away to college. I would come home for the weekend to visit loaded down with laundry and a long to do list; shopping with mom, catching up with friends, mountains if reading, yet, somehow once I stepped into the house I was overcome with sleepiness. Suddenly, my to do list vanished as I would fall into a deep refreshing slumber.
What was it about mom and dad's house that had this power? Was it the smell of clean laundry? A hot home-cooked meal? Cookies in the oven? Was it the quiet of the country? Try as I might, I couldn't figure it out.
When Dan and I began dating again, I brought him home with me. We had big plans while in Wichita but I warned him of the magical properties of the house. I was anxious for a weekend to relax and recharge, but the house didn't have the same effect on Dan. Instead, he spent a lot of time walking outside and fishing while I was snoozing away our weekend.
I don't know when it happened, but sometime along the way Dan came under the spell of the house, too. We would head to Derby, always armed with a to-do list for the weekend and yet, time and time again, the house would pull us in and lull us into a state of relaxation. Days later, we would emerge, refreshed and ready to handle a whole new set of stresses life had I store for us.
The last month Dan has been traveling a lot. A lot may not even describe it. He's been away for days at a time often flying to his next meeting before coming home, or only being home for hours in between trips. It's been really tough on us all, but obviously, hardest on Dan.
The afternoon of the 13th, Dan arrived home, beyond anxious to spend a fun night with Hudson and I playing and watching TV in the basement. After dinner, Dan and Hudson were chasing each other down the hallway. Happy baby and happy daddy giggles filled the air. Suddenly, Dan and Hudson stopped and sighed. I went to them and we embraced in a family hug. Hudson yawned and buried his face into Dan's neck. I looked to Dan. "I don't know what happened. I just got so tired I can barely keep my eyes open," he said.
I smiled, "That's what home feels like."
Just recently, a friend asked me when I knew I was an adult. I've thought a lot about it, and I hadn't been able to come up with a clear-cut time. But at this moment, I felt a great since of "adultness". We are a family. We have created together a home that has those same magical powers as my Mom and Dad's. A home that is an escape from reality and a sanctuary of security and love. It is a place that we can enjoy each other and leave behind the stresses of the world, the negativity of life and be refilled so that we can face another day.
But now, I'm smart enough to know that home just isn't a place. Home is where my boys are.
What was it about mom and dad's house that had this power? Was it the smell of clean laundry? A hot home-cooked meal? Cookies in the oven? Was it the quiet of the country? Try as I might, I couldn't figure it out.
When Dan and I began dating again, I brought him home with me. We had big plans while in Wichita but I warned him of the magical properties of the house. I was anxious for a weekend to relax and recharge, but the house didn't have the same effect on Dan. Instead, he spent a lot of time walking outside and fishing while I was snoozing away our weekend.
I don't know when it happened, but sometime along the way Dan came under the spell of the house, too. We would head to Derby, always armed with a to-do list for the weekend and yet, time and time again, the house would pull us in and lull us into a state of relaxation. Days later, we would emerge, refreshed and ready to handle a whole new set of stresses life had I store for us.
The last month Dan has been traveling a lot. A lot may not even describe it. He's been away for days at a time often flying to his next meeting before coming home, or only being home for hours in between trips. It's been really tough on us all, but obviously, hardest on Dan.
The afternoon of the 13th, Dan arrived home, beyond anxious to spend a fun night with Hudson and I playing and watching TV in the basement. After dinner, Dan and Hudson were chasing each other down the hallway. Happy baby and happy daddy giggles filled the air. Suddenly, Dan and Hudson stopped and sighed. I went to them and we embraced in a family hug. Hudson yawned and buried his face into Dan's neck. I looked to Dan. "I don't know what happened. I just got so tired I can barely keep my eyes open," he said.
I smiled, "That's what home feels like."
Just recently, a friend asked me when I knew I was an adult. I've thought a lot about it, and I hadn't been able to come up with a clear-cut time. But at this moment, I felt a great since of "adultness". We are a family. We have created together a home that has those same magical powers as my Mom and Dad's. A home that is an escape from reality and a sanctuary of security and love. It is a place that we can enjoy each other and leave behind the stresses of the world, the negativity of life and be refilled so that we can face another day.
But now, I'm smart enough to know that home just isn't a place. Home is where my boys are.
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