What is it that makes someplace home?
The definition of home is:
1. a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.
2. the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.
3. any place of residence or refuge.
4. a person's native place or own country.
So... other than Canada being our heritage and citizenship, we can really make anywhere home. I have been thinking of the girls being these nomadic children, with no real sense of "home", and reading these brief definitions, I've realized that anywhere they consider to be their place of comfort and refuge is their home, and anywhere we happen to be in the world can be "home" to them. I still think we need to make sure they are aware of their Canadian culture and our values, etc.... but we don't need to be in our little house in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in order for them to feel the love and security of home. In thinking about all of the different homes I've lived in during my life, I realize it's not so much the homes I remember, it's the memories that were made in those homes that stay with me and I am so looking forward to creating some new ones with our family. For the next ten days, home is the house we brought them to after they were born; then we'll have a new address for a couple of months, and then home will be found in Balikpapan, Indonesia. I am so excited about being finished work in 4 more working days (I can hardly believe it's almost here!), and then my sole responsibility is to our family, and fostering our growth and bonds with each other.
Every day I find Sofia packing up another bag full of her "stuff", and when I ask her what she's doing, she answers with things like "I'm packing for the airplane mommy, I'm going to Balikpapan", or "I need my dolls in Indonesia, mommy". Last night, she asked me with huge frown lines, "our TV is too big to go, mommy?" and I said "no, Sofia, we'll bring our TV to Balikpapan with us", to which those huge frown lines disappeared and all was right with the world once again. The magic of your biggest concern being whether or not you'll be able to see Buzz Lightyear and "the cowboy" again is amazingly refreshing and cute.
So... other than Canada being our heritage and citizenship, we can really make anywhere home. I have been thinking of the girls being these nomadic children, with no real sense of "home", and reading these brief definitions, I've realized that anywhere they consider to be their place of comfort and refuge is their home, and anywhere we happen to be in the world can be "home" to them. I still think we need to make sure they are aware of their Canadian culture and our values, etc.... but we don't need to be in our little house in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in order for them to feel the love and security of home. In thinking about all of the different homes I've lived in during my life, I realize it's not so much the homes I remember, it's the memories that were made in those homes that stay with me and I am so looking forward to creating some new ones with our family. For the next ten days, home is the house we brought them to after they were born; then we'll have a new address for a couple of months, and then home will be found in Balikpapan, Indonesia. I am so excited about being finished work in 4 more working days (I can hardly believe it's almost here!), and then my sole responsibility is to our family, and fostering our growth and bonds with each other.
Every day I find Sofia packing up another bag full of her "stuff", and when I ask her what she's doing, she answers with things like "I'm packing for the airplane mommy, I'm going to Balikpapan", or "I need my dolls in Indonesia, mommy". Last night, she asked me with huge frown lines, "our TV is too big to go, mommy?" and I said "no, Sofia, we'll bring our TV to Balikpapan with us", to which those huge frown lines disappeared and all was right with the world once again. The magic of your biggest concern being whether or not you'll be able to see Buzz Lightyear and "the cowboy" again is amazingly refreshing and cute.
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