A Remedy for Homesickness
The things that stay
stick to me like glue
and settle under my skin
only to be disclosed in moments of revelation.
The things that stay
wrap me in a warm embrace
of familiar feelings
and moments I’ve observed before:
a curly-headed child singing along with the birds in the park
the sweet smell of honeysuckle from my childhood backyard
a seashell with a tiny hole, perfect for making a necklace.
The things that stay
slowly mold me into the person I am:
the flicker of gold that reflects from a tin rooftop at sunset
the uplifting ring of a much-too-familiar laugh
the taste of cool, rusty water from a fountain spigot
I can’t put my finger on it
but I’ve been here before.
Influence from experiences undergone
imprints from lessons learned
I am who I am
because of the things that stay
sculpting me piece by piece like papier-mâché.
A Feeling Of Home Wherever I May Go
I will never forget the overwhelming joy my five-year-old self felt while giggling until my belly hurt from playing dodgeball with my father and brother in our basement when we couldn’t sleep. Or the cozy, smoky scent that lingered through my childhood home every winter from our wood-burning furnace. Or making cute, paper crafts with my grandma every time my parents went out of town.
These memories have found a permanent residence in my heart as triggers of reassurance and comfort, even if I go years without thinking of them. They find their way into my present life in the oddest of places and times, creating a feeling of home wherever I may go.
I recently spent five months in Spain as a solo traveler and student. Being someone who has lived in Cape Girardeau my whole life, this transition was exceptionally challenging. This town here in Southeast Missouri was all I had ever known. It was my home. At least I thought it was, until I found home within myself, halfway across the world.
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