The ideal return Home
still includes someone’s eyes lighting up when you walk through the door
or better yet meeting you at your car door with an back breaking embrace already starting so you can’t begin to get out of the car
but not staring through you with resigned disappointment not seeing you as you come in.
It still includes knowing something of your current work or dream or project
or better yet bragging on your work to other family members and the unsuspecting neighbor passing by
but not nodding blank eyed with no recognition of who or what is important to you
It still includes being slightly embarressed of your buck tooth, four eyes 5th grade picture still up on the wall
or better yet displaying a montage of your kid’s photographs and accomplishments plastered on the fridge
but not having any recognizable part of your life on display
It still includes preparing a childhood soul-food
or better yet everyone sitting around the table reminicing about “the time when we made this dinner , and you remember when this happened, and we laughed…”
but not asking what meals you will be responsible for preparing while I visit
It still includes the obligatory visits to older family members
or better yet having an meaningful activity to do with the family members
but not rolling your eyes and visibly seething over difficult to love family members who go on and on about why you don’t bother to come see them anymore since their lives are miserable.
It still includes telling someone that you love them, and you are proud of them, and you miss them
or better yet showing someone that you love them, and you are proud of them. and you miss them
but not not telling someone that you love them, and not not telling them you are proud of them and not not telling them you miss them.
Still include love
or better yet grace
but at least one of these.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Photo by Daniel von Appen
The Rabid Mime 