A Winter at "Home" . . .

I have to say that "home" is a word that has come to mean different things. We leave India to come "home," I leave North Carolina to go "home" to Florida (and later leave Florida to go "home" to North Carolina!), we even leave the US to go "home" to India . . .what is home, anyway? I think for us it is a place that welcomes us as its own or is a place for us to sleep, cook, live, breathe, and work; it's a place where people we love are. People have asked us if it has been difficult to adjust again to our "home" here in the States. Some things have changed and alarm us in ways; babies have been born, couples have married, friends have moved, children have grown, technology has advanced. Other things have become different for me and therefore a bit difficult. Here are a few of those things: 1. Getting together with people is a lot more challenging here. In India, people who want to see you show up at your house. If they don't show up, that means they don't want to see you. When they show up you have intentional fellowship over tea or coffee or food. You literally drop what you are doing to spend time with them. Then you do the same at their house. I miss that, and I will work toward having that as part of our lives if we ever move back to the US. 2. People say 'excuse me' if you get close enough to almost touch them when you're passing them in a crowd or moving through a store. In India we all just pass right through each other, touching and all, and no one thinks anything of it. I found myself not knowing immediately what to say when people were excusing themselves all around me here--"sorry," I would mutter mostly. I'm sure that it took me time to adjust to the India way 4 1/2 years ago, but I have forgotten, and now I like touching elbows and shoulders with strangers. 3. Numbers are really important in the USA. If you purchase something, you need a phone number. If you buy gas with a credit card, you need a zip code. If you use your check card, you need a PIN. I had to type in my SSN for something last week, the first time in almost 2 years that I have been asked for it. (Thankfully that one has stuck). For most of you these numbers are a regular part of your daily life, but I stumble every time. I don't have any idea which phone number to give those cashiers, I fumble at what zip code to use with which credit card, and I forget my PIN permanently every time we come home. (I know our friend CK won't relate to this as he has a more complex brain that we do). But all in all, we are grateful to be here, thankful for the time to rest, blessed by the interaction with loving family and friends. We have a few weeks remaining, and plan to soak up every day before returning to our other challenging and loving "home."