Courageous Joy

Home

"Where's home?" This question raises a dilemma for many third culture kids, myself included. Where IS home? How do I answer? It depends. If the person seems like one with whom I'd like to strike up a conversation, or one that is honestly interested, I often say, "Africa or The Philippines". If the person seems to be simply fulfilling social obligations, I'll say, "Oregon" and let it drop. If they seem interested after that I'll say, "My parents were missionaries, and we spent furloughs in OR." If they are STILL interested, we go on to discuss Africa, Philippines, boarding school.... Since home is where the heart is, many in my family respond to the question with one word, "Alaska".

I was once asked by a dear lady, who had lived the majority of her married life in her childhood home, if I "left a part of myself at each home." Hmm...at that point (20 years ago) I'd lived on 3 continents, 2 states, and towns and homes too numerous to count. I replied that I'd have nothing left if I left a part of myself at each spot...but now I see that I do leave something at each spot.

"This world is not my home". "Home is where the heart is". Hmmm... I've been thinking that if this is true, and I begin to think it is, then it is possible for home to be a spot I've never seen. It's possible that home is in Spokane, WA...Eugene, OR...Crescent City, CA....Anchorage, AK....TX...Mangagoy, PI....Liberia, W Africa and Kuwait. The ultimate home being heaven....

You suspected, of course, that my musings stem from the repeated hearing of the song, "I'll be home for Christmas". It seems to me that no matter where I travel...or where pieces of my heart land with loved ones...if home IS where the heart is...then regardless of physical location...I always am HOME for Christmas...

And so this Christmas, I'll be home in OR, home in TX, home in CA, and home in Kuwait.