Last week in one of my classes, we were asked by the professor to describe what we are homesick for. One of the things that cycled through my brain as I processed this was the sun and it’s heat. We had the wettest March on record, and while it has been nice the last couple of days (getting into the high 60’s), it doesn’t hold a candle to the 90+ degree weather that Arizona has been having.
But I also thought about other things that I am homesick for, especially as the Easter holiday came. There are so many traditions that I miss.
I remember living in Michigan and going to the park on the Saturday before Easter. Areas of the park were cordoned off, with thousands of eggs just lying there waiting for some kid to grab them…
I remember mom hiding eggs throughout the house and yard while we stayed in our rooms, and then double checking to make sure we got all of them…
I remember the Easter baskets of candy and toys. We always got a small chocolate bunny and a large chocolate cross so we would know the real meaning of Easter…
All of these brought a smile to my face as I remembered the joy of being a kid.
And then I remember Debbie making deviled eggs for Easter dinner with Bear sitting in the dining room. He was the taste tester and gave his opinion on what was missing from the eggs, always trying to sneak into the eggs before dinner…
All of a sudden, the smile was gone from my face, and tears started streaming down my cheeks. I was even more homesick than before, wanting to be home for Easter, to be around family. I wanted to be able to hug Debbie and Jamie and Nate, to be there to support them for the first holiday without Papa Bear.
But I have to wait another 17 days before I can do that. I’m going home for Dad’s celebration of life party. I’ll only be home for 3 days but its 3 days that I need to help ease some of this homesickness…
