Home for the Holidays.

I'm reflecting on what Home means to me. A really life-changing experience for me was being a part of & eventually leading my University's Home for the Holidays Service Immersions. During those years, I've dissected & flipped around my definition of home, family, leadership, relationships & purpose.

I can go on as to how my reflections have truly provided me with different perspectives to life and where I fit in it. But for the purpose of this entry I'll keep it as focused as possible.
The holiday season is the time when home & family is most highlighted. I can't think of a time where I want to spend the most time with my family; & at this point in my life, I also think about my future family & creating a home.

So I was so blessed to get to go home this past week. Granted, I missed out on Christmas day & will miss New Year's day with my family.. but it was still just as amazing. The last time I spent the holidays with my family was in 2007.

Since leaving for college, my family & I have only grown closer. I can run to my parents for almost anything. They're still their crazy selves, but I seriously cannot imagine what my life would be like without their unconditional, sometimes stifling but still always appreciated, love and support. My brother is my best friend. Despite our age difference (six years), we still learn important life lessons from each other & share such a strong bond without any judgement.

After this trip, I also realized that genuine, really loud, sometimes annoying, no shame & my-stomach-hurts kind of laughter is a sign that I am home. Granted, I am easily amused & naturally a loud person. But when I find myself to feel so comfortable to be able to laugh so hard, so loud & with such ease, I know I have found home where I am at. I've found that my family & very, very few friends in my life can make me laugh that way & those are the people I feel the most at home with, that I really do consider family.

I pray everyday that I can build something that has even a close semblance of the family that God has blessed me with. To build a kind of home that can be found in the memories that last forever, the ones that no matter where you are at, you can still find it within infused with a love that is so overwhelming.

My auntie introduced me to this song.
She said that our love, for family is described best like this song.

forever we will stay, like a pyramid