Home will be Africa

I've been thinking a lot over the past week or so about what makes a home so important? Why are there thousands of DIY and home content creators? Why do people spend so much of their time and hard earned money working on their homes? I think it's because our home affects us the most out of anywhere else we go. We spend a lot of time in it. We keep precious things there. The people we love most spend time with us in our home. It's a place of belonging.

My parent's flew out today for Africa, their new home for the next three years. We had a lot of goodbye moments. They spoke in their church meetings and gave farewell talks, we went to see them get set apart as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and they stopped by to give an official goodbye visit to us a few days ago.

There have been many feelings during the last month. I feel like the build-up to a goodbye is harder than the goodbye itself. Two weeks ago I had a complete breakdown. Ugly crying, feeling the unfairness of life, sad about the moments we were already missing together. Since then I've felt at peace with it all. I'm sure there are things I'm not letting myself feel, but for the most part I'm really excited for this adventure my parent's are going to go through together. I've learned that it's ok to feel multiple feelings at once. I can feel sad they are leaving, but also grateful we still get to chat and that they will come back. I can feel anxious and excited, frustrated and peaceful. Right now the overwhelming feeling in my heart is gratitude. I have the best parents, and they are alive and well. And not everyone has that. Not everyone has access to loving parents. And so it only makes sense that more people should have access to my parents to make up for the things and people they don't have in their lives. I can share for 3 years.

It will be interesting to hear from my parents as they transition and make not only a new house their home, but a new country and a new people. Africa will be their home because the things that are precious to them will be there. The time the spend will be there. The people they love will be there. And that also means that when they come HOME, this will also be home. Because I am here. My kids are here. My siblings are here. Their life is here. And so maybe home just grows as we make room in our heart.