Tag: home

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Memoir

Loss

Loss. 

The memory comes back. Distinct. Clear. From 1972. One hot, humid afternoon in Kediri, Indonesia.

I’m just arriving at our home. After being away for high school a couple of months. In Jakarta.  

Standing outside. Reaching for the handle of the screen door. And suddenly a subconscious map surfaces.  One I never knew was there. 

A map of presence. Home and those who belong in it. 

Without warning, the realization of deep loss hits. Full force. There’s an empty space on that map. 

The place where my sister Ann has always been.

Grief. Tangible. 

Me with Momma and my new baby sister, Ann. Bangkok, Thailand. 1961.
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Crossing Cultures Devotional Memoir

Where is home?

We move across the world. Connect with new cultures. Plant our lives in soil so different from what we’ve ever known before. 

Airport arrival
One of our favorite airports. December 2013

Where is home? 

The question crosses our minds. Simmers. Hangs in the air.

If we put down roots here, what happens to the other places we’ve called home? 

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Crossing Cultures Devotional

Temporary nest

The birds swoop down toward me. Splattered mud of last year’s temporary nest still stains the corner under the roof of our patio. We’ve tried to deter them. A long rope of brass bells from India hangs from a nail nearby. I watch them pull at the strands of the rope. Loudly protesting this intrusion. 

Photo Credit: rithban Flickr via Compfight cc

They try a new location. In the opposite corner. Instinct rules and they will not be stopped. We pile something in this new spot. Our attempt at a scarecrow.  We wait to see whether they’ll leave for another place. 

They’re obnoxious. All the chattering and swooping makes the back patio an unpleasant experience. But I know it’s how they’re wired. It’s time for nest making. Go home. 

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