My heart is full. What a beautiful whirlwind of travel it has been over the last 4 weeks. Spending time with family and close friends in my home country is always so incredibly soul fulfilling. I am continuously amazed at the amount of time and effort my loved ones put in to make my time at home so special each time I make the journey back.
This past trip I felt particularly fortunate as I found myself jetting around from place to place spending beautiful quality time with my nearest and dearest. Whether it was extended weekends on the beach or just an afternoon on a sunny deck, I feel as though I have been refilled and once again. My cup overfloweth.
I don't have too many photos of these moments, but they are all painted so clearly in my mind.
- Listening to my beautiful sister play music to brighten the lives and calm the souls of young and old and being present to witness her explore and grow into the best version of herself.
- Attending the wedding of my fantastic cousin and getting to be a part of a very special day in his life along with my dad and sister sharing love and laughter with my dad's family.
- Wandering the streets of Portland Maine trolling through thrift stores with my girls and sharing our excitement over treasures we found.
- Watching some lobstermen bring in their haul of fresh lobsters at Marshfield harbor and finding a few gorgeous specimens on my plate to enjoy with my mom and Auntie.
- Eating tunafish sandwiches on a hot sunny day at the beach with my bestie and watching her girls dance around without a care in the world trying to imitate my Michael Jackson moves.
- Reconnecting with Sarah and Sherm and meeting the little man in their lives and recognizing something in him so familiar, so beautiful and humbling. Knowing that he is the leader of the next generation of Team Fun.
- Seeing my beautiful niece grow into a young woman and share so many similarities to my sister and I. She is the perfect blend of us both.
- Picking the brains of my extended family to begin piecing together my heritage and genealogy to better understand where I came from and where I might be heading.
- Sitting on the sun porch in the morning with a steaming cup of coffee soaking up the knowledge of my dear Nancy while she meanders around all of the pertinent questions which she just somehow knows are the right ones to ask.
- Sharing a bed with my Auntie and feeling connected to her again without having to say a word.
- Understanding and witnessing first-hand the yearning for change and the determination it takes to make it happen from my dear friends Richie and Alison and being overwhelmingly excited for them in their next adventure.
- Seeing my immediate family all together once again to share a beautiful Father's Day breakfast. (Ok, this one I really wish I had a picture of!)
These are some of the moments that I will never forget. This is why it is important to come home and reconnect with the part of you that can sometimes fade. Rediscovering my soul's imprint and the origins from which it came. We need only a few weeks to sharpen that image and take it along for the next journey. It is grounding. This is what home feels like.
