I remember when our family first brought our adopted daughter Honour home from Vietnam. When putting her to bed at night we would have a recurring conversation that went like this:
Honour: This Honour’s bed.
Me: Yes, Honour, this is your bed.
Honour: I have cat. Dog.
Me: Yes, Honour, you have a cat and a dog.
Honour: I have “bruvahs.”
Me: Yes, Honour, you have two big brothers.
Honour: I have “sithas.”
Me: Yes, you have three wonderful sisters.
Honour: I have Mama and Daddy. My Daddy, Rob.
Me: Yes, you have a Mama and Daddy. And we love you SO much!
(Eyes sparkling, she giggles!)
Honour: I have house.
Me: Yes Honour, this is YOUR house.
Honour: I home…Honour home.
Me: Yes Honour, you are home. You are finally HOME.
Linford Detwieller from the band Over The Rhine writes, “Isn’t that the most basic underpinning of all human longing – trying to arrive at a place called home?”
Admittedly, for some, home and family may not be something that we long for or something that conjures up good feelings of nostalgia. It may actually be the thing we are running away from or hope to forget.
But even then, what we long for is the way it was meant to be, or should have been.
Home is not a physical building, but people. Often flawed, quirky, awkward, but beautiful people doing the best they can to love well and to love for the long haul. Sometimes we are good at it. Other times not so much. But we keep trying. Because that’s what family is all about.
Our resolution as Love146 for this coming year is to do just that. Thank you for being part of our family. And for answering the ache of children who long for home.
Happy New Year from all of us at Love146!
*Child pictured is not represented in the story.
