One day, while registering the car at the courthouse, I was sharing stories with the woman next to me when I suddenly noticed the irritated face of someone “not from here” standing behind us. In that very moment, I realized that I was no longer the outsider—I am from here. That small town had woven me into the daily pattern of its life without me even noticing. My neighbors were my friends. My husband’s grandmother was my Maw-Maw. My children walked the streets where their father grew up and sat on church pews emblazoned with their grandfather’s initials.
But it wasn’t just that which made it home. It was how connected I felt to the courage of the women who made beautiful quilts out of hand-me-down rags . . . the fierce pride of those who survived hardship for generations and had the stories to prove it . . . the humor of people who came through the worst, decade after decade, and still thought life was pretty darn funny . . . and the way they reached out to me and made me whole. And did I mention that my home is beautiful? That there is nothing more gorgeous than the speed with which black velvet evening covers the hills? Nothing more magical than dew glowing on redbud branches or ice sparkling on limbs dipping into the creek?
I believe we all need somewhere to call home. I’ve found that home isn’t just a place; it’s where I feel I belong.