In Search of Home

How does one define “home” in the absence of parents? Where do we go for the holidays? For long weekends away? Who do I send pictures of my child to? Who do we FaceTime with every day at Noon? Who will call to ask what time we’ll be “hitting the road” to drive to their place?

And who will insist on a phone call “just to let me know you got back ok” when we return? And who will ever again eagerly await our arrival and welcome us with arms open so wide that just the image of them standing there was my very definition of “home”?

My parents tethered me to the earth, and I feel like I’m going to float away without them.