17 June 2011

FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY

Where's HOME for YOU?

Another Friday already...time for Gypsy Mama's link up.  Five minutes of unedited writing...just thoughts written down with no second guessing for five minutes. 

Today's prompt?

HOME

GO

"Where's home for you?"  I get that a lot living in this very international city.  We meet a lot of other English speakers, and it's invariably one of the first questions I get (for that matter, it's also one of the first questions from Dutch natives).  A question that over the years has gotten increasingly difficult to answer.

I could tell you where I grew up, where my family lives, where we got married.  I could tell you the places where I feel MORE at home, MORE comfortable.  I could tell you all the places we've lived over the years.

But my real answer?  Where's home for me?  

Here.

Wherever that may be.  Because I could put home in one spot.  But then I would miss it.  And I would spend my NOW TIME wishing I was there.  Wishing I was home.  And missing out on all the great things about BEING HOME.

So home is here, or there, or wherever we may be.  And someday that place might stay the same forever and ever.  But right now it changes.  And I like it that way, most of the time.  

Part truth, part coping mechanism, part teaching the kids about the diversity of the world, we've made this great big planet our home.  Now, even when we are on holiday, the children ask "when are we going home?"  And all they mean is, when are we going back to our apartment/hotel/cabin?  Because they now have grown up making everywhere home.  

STOP

Well, that was fun, wasn't it?  Go check out all the other links for Five Minute Friday.  I'm number 36, and a big WAY TO GO, KEEP IT UP! to #35, Beauty For Ashes, where she talks about all the places she can call home.

3 comments:

  1. Oh love your writing!
    Love the way you are raising your children.
    they are blessed to have you as a mom.
    Tee

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  2. Well, thanks! I'm digging this 5 minute thing.

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  3. aw, tracey! thanks for the shout-out! i love the way you did that (and that i got to be the recipient - thank you!)

    love it that you're 'home' is 'here'. :)

    xo

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