Home is where the Heart is.

Hello England!
   I have shared with you my emotional and thinking process in me moving out of my city flat into a family home after Mum's passing. And also a little in thoughts about a possible move in the future - but these past 8 weeks have given me a new thought on the phrase 'Home is where the Heart is'. In this time I have come to a greater understanding of what it could really mean, and how it will affect me for the rest of my life.

   Someone asked me the other day how many new 'Facebook friends' I had added over my time in the States. I wasn't quite sure, as I think only a month's additions is shown on your page and mine said 15 'new friends', but the number is probably double that (by mathematical calculation). That is not to be boasting at all, it is merely to say I have met that many people who I would like to keep in touch with. The only boasting I can do, is in that I am part of such a wonderful family that allows me to care for a lot of people, and vice versa. I am quite an open person, and find it quite easy to talk to just about anybody. I tend to get comfortable with people quickly, and because of this I get to share such interesting things with them. There are three things I want to tell you to make my point:

     Firstly, Cassidy is a girl I met in Henderson, TN. We spent some time together and within just 3 days became so close. We have some things in common, I couldn't necessarily tell you what her 'favourites were' - except pugs - but we bonded over mutual grounding and a fundamental understanding which leads us to strive to be the women we want to be. It is an honour to know her. My friendship with her is just one of many I was blessed with in my time away.

    Secondly, years ago I was at a Youth Weekend (retreat) in a girls' class we were talking about 'how far is too far' - you know the lesson - and it was mentioned that even holding a boy's hand is like giving him a piece of your Heart (so you need to be careful you don't give yourself away before you meet that one person you want to share everything with.) I use this lesson as an analogy - rather than physical aspects of love I am talk about sharing acts of kindness, experiences, memories and wisdom which I call Love.

     Thirdly, I thoroughly enjoy getting to know people. I find people fascinating. How different we all are, yet how similar our Hearts tend to be. We hear expressions like 'I could never love them more than I do right now' or 'my whole heart belongs to you' and I have been there. Yet I continue to Love and Love and Love, and even when my Heart feels broken, or shattered, I still find capacity to Love all the more. If you have children you truly understand how your Heart seems bottomless, because even with each new addition to the family you Love them the same, unconditional, utmost amount. 

   N.B. With these things considered I have seen that we were made to Love one another. As a Christian I believe we were made to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength - first and foremost, but there is always room to Love your neighbour as yourself.

    So, I was really upset the night before we left America. I couldn't quite figure out why until it came together in my head like this: I was sad because I felt as though I had gained so much, had so many fantastic memories, pictures, souvenirs, gifts to take back with me, but I also felt as though I was leaving something behind. Every teary-eyed conversation, be it from common sorrows or sheer hilarity, made an impact on me. I felt as though pieces of my Heart had been left with these moments and these people I had encountered. I fell in-love with fellowship, with the different relationships we can have with one another. 

   I am blessed to have been given many opportunities in my life to really get to know and Love people. Some so well that I think that when we Love someone we give them a piece of our Heart for strength and safe keeping. Whether it's crying together over similar struggles of grief at a dining table with sweet ice tea, playing card games and end up talking about past relationships with a new acquaintance, sitting beneath the stars talking about hopes and dreams with someone you've always-known-but-have-never-really-known, you're sharing your Love with people.

   Going back to the phrase 'Home is where the Heart is', I am learning that Home really IS where your Heart is. Be it in one place or a hundred. The truly awesome thing about Love is that it is infinite, it is overwhelming and it sometimes does surpass understanding - to the extent even that a born and bred Brit can feel 'at home' sippin' sweet tea and shootin' skeet with the best of 'em. ;] I consider my family to be one that extends to many wonderful people across the pond, and I realise 'yeah, I could get used to this...'
   But when I sat, a little begrudgingly, in 39A on the plane in Nashville airport, knowing I would not get a decent sleep or meal for the next 24 hours, a face with a smile came into my mind and I stopped caring about how I would get home, just that I would. I knew that I was travelling back to a place where I had stored little, medium and large pieces of my Heart, and everything was OK. 
   Home is where your Heart is. Be it vested in your family, friends, acquaintances, cultural traditions, land history or hopes for a brighter future, when possible, people will go where they most want to be. For me, for now, it is in the house I grew up in, the residence in which my Mother and Father built a home, the place I first learned to truly Love. So, yes, I am happy to be home.

Travel Journal #7

Saturday 20th October

   LONG day! Left just gone 9 to drive to Tupelo Mississippi to visit Elvis Presley's house! YAS! So cool, we went in the wee house he was born in, the church he used to go to and first loved singing in, we saw his primary school and the town, and of course the museum and chapel built by family, friends and fans. It was very interesting.    We actually got a bit of a special tour as we went round with a couple who's Mother (and mother-in-law respectively) had grown up around the corner from Elvis' family and her Mother took care of Elvis when he was a baby, more notably right when he was born and the family dealt with his twin brother who didn't survive. She told us stories of the children, herself included, all playing on the hills nearby and going up to a small house to play. She distinctly recalls her mother playing the piano in the church Elvis and his family went to and tells us that in the reconditioned church building - they put the piano on the wrong side and there should be an aisle between the two columns of benches! It was truly a wonderful day out, we got to hear about the town's history a bit and we ate in the Diner he frequented as a child and revisited as an adult once he became famous. We also saw the music shop in which he bought his first guitar!

   We got back from Tupelo at about 5.30 and we were meant to be at a family's house for dinner at 6 so we quickly freshened up, grabbed a spot of tea and shot off! The family we ate with were lovely, I got into a massive conversation about everything with Beth Naylor and we pretty much solved the world's problems... ;] What a lovely night, amazing folk. Love meeting great people!

 

The girl in the middle of the photo is Miss Rae who gave us the special tour. The boy standing on the left is Elvis Presley.

Sunday 21st October

   Another long one! We worshiped with the Estes congregation where Steve and Marie are members. It was so wonderful to see so many people who have known my family for decades and it's always lovely to meet new people too, or re-meeting them as I can't remember those who held me when I was a baby or played with me when I was a child... We ate there with a visitation group then came back to the house for a bit and I skyped with Shanae for a few hours. Love you Sis! <3

   Head out to Bethel Springs for evening worship and class. Dad did his BBS presentation again and we hung around for about an hour and a half talking with people! I got into a conversation with Matt who had taken me around the Freed campus, and his friend was there too who does an amazing Londoner accent and is fluent in Japanese... Needless to say, I'm meeting some interesting and entertaining people!

   It's good times.

Travel Journal #6

Tuesday 16th October

Lie in and blogging! Lunch at the house.. Dinner at Zlatovich's house with Frank Bell and Jason Shappley, lots of fun and memories from Campaigns who stayed at our house in early 1990s :] They let us have a chocolate fudge pie - amazing!

Wednesday 17th October

We parked in my personal parking spot then I had a tour round campus from Marco Di Luca and Matt Wallace [thanks!], Chapel, lunch at Gano, and some jolly good conversation. We had dinner and evening worship service out in Lindin then I went to the evening song session at Clayton Chapel on Freed Hardeman campus. There was a storm that night and the lightning was intense! So bright and the thunder was so loud. Pretty cool experience, not so bad as to have damage nearby and no tornadoes.

Thursday 18th October

Went to an early lunch with Bill J Naylor and his wife at a cool hotel restaurant overlooking the Tennessee river, beautiful. Then had people over for dinner at Steve and Marie's, went to Freed's Theatre group rehearsal then the evening a capella group practice and stayed in Privileged student accommodation with Jessica J and her flatmates! Lots of fun :]

Friday 19th October

Woke up in a strange place and remembered I'd slept in the dorms, so wasn't too big a freak out. :] Milk and a cookie for breakfast then a Bible class with Jim Gardener and lunch with the England's at Bell's Burgers. Barbara England took be round the Art department and I saw some of the ongoing print work, senior gallery and dark room there. Pretty interesting stuff. After hanging round the art rooms for a bit we head over to the music department where Barbara's husband Richard works, and after playing me some Debussy and Les Mis we had a mini impromptu performance of 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again' from Phantom of the Opera - that was pretty cool. Definitely makes me want to get back into singing! Came back to the house and after dinner we watched some footage taken of the Campaign Steve and Marie brought over to Peterborough in 1996! I shall tell you more of that soon... :] The best memories. 

We were rather surprised to see this classic London bus on Freed Hardeman campus!

 

 It's a project which helps raise awareness about the needs of orphans and raises money for orphan care. The bus had been converted into a shop with t-shirts to buy, amongst other things. If you're interested in knowing more or giving to the cause here's the website: http://www.redbusproject.org/