Warriors Understand Home...

The days of being in our house are coming to an end. I had a razz ma tazz, rope a dope, two fisted, rock em sock em robot, wake up from my girls that made me realize where "home" truly "resides". My girls, on the same day, unknowingly, took the worry I had about leaving the house and losing the "home" we've always known. Indy called from California feeling terribly sick. She is no complainer and has danced through high fever and chills without so much as a peep. She wondered if she had strep throat so I asked that she FaceTime and let me give her my mom inspection. We do not FaceTime often so when she came on the screen and saw my face she began to cry. Hard. She always calls me "my tiny mama" and her little voice sounded so young saying it through her tears. When you feel bad no matter what you want your mom. Indy is blessed to live with the most fabulous host family but there's just the moment that hits you when home is the only place you long to be. Indy, as my first born has always been strong and unwilling to crumble. Hearing her so soft, sick and sad from far away made me want to scoop her up the way I did before her long limbs made it easier for her to hold me. We spoke and I soothed her, she got to the doctor and on antibiotics; she was back to ballet twenty four hours later. It wasn't two hours later I got a call from Mattigan. After eight days of not speaking to my younger warrior girl my full awakening to "home" truly occurred. Mattie chose a theater camp back east and the rule is no calls home the first week. Except for short business trips, the occasional sleepover, or Mattie's camping excursions, we have not been apart since Warrior passed. We talk, text and laugh everyday. Mattie is a fabulous companion, sweet in deep ways but very, very stoic. She is also not overly affectionate. A quick pat or a wonderful hug is Mattie's threshold. I respect that in her and let her be. Mattie, like Indy, only cries if she absolutely cannot help it. When I saw her text I answered quickly saying "let's FaceTime--I wanna see you!". When we connected I watched her face collapse into tears which set me into a panic. Through her sobs she told me she was great, not to worry, but that she had never missed me more and never knew how much she loved her life. Mattie said, "this place is great mommy, if my home life was bad this would be heaven...but my home life is heaven so this can't compare.". Again, like with Indy, we spoke, she was calmed, and we ended our conversation smiling. I sat at the counter a long time after those two calls and thought of the gift my girls delivered. My girls did not cry because they missed the physical structure of a house. My girls were not longing for the adobe bricks or wooden floors our house is made up of at all. When my girls got homesick it was not a place they missed but instead a person. I came to realize no matter where we move, to the girls, I AM HOME. I believe in being home...Always. xo🏡 d Warriors--I share these things with you so you might see how what I learn is true for you too. We are all woven so closely into the web of humanity; especially our tribe of warriors. We are responsible for growing, expanding, and evolving and as we do...lighting a candle in memory of where we've been and leaving the porch light on for fellow warriors to be welcomed home.