The signal you are Home

Growing up, we lived in the country.  Which is probably why I have never minded having to drive far to get somewhere...I remember from being small through high school driving down the curvy country road just a jaunt away from our house and always waving to the brothers who lived in the farmhouse down by the tracks. They seemed like they were always out doing a little front porch sittin'.

A good fifteen years later, I have found myself thinking about those two guys as I wave to those I pass in our town. Had I not grown up in the country and learned that you wave to those you pass by,  I would never think to do it myself. But giving a friendly wave now, as an adult, has a bit more meaning.

It had been a busy day of running errands in town. I had a perfectly planned route with arrival times set in my waze app. Our itinerary- Dr.s office, Chick-fil-a, Target, car wash, gas station, Mimi's house, hair appointment, Mimi's house to pick-up, Chick-fil-a (yes, again), and the grocery.  With some tired babes in the van, and no arrival time to meet, we just cruised home.  As the roads became more winding and we neared home, I began exchanging waves to those passing by. 

It was then I realized how much those simple waves mean to me. Those waves meant I was Home. 

For about 10 years, I taught kindergarten. We always spent a lot of time on building community in the classroom.  Beyond just learning names, we did activities that helped us learn about each other's interest, likes and dislikes,  and collaborative activities that would require some team work. By providing these opportunities,  the children came into a classroom where they were known, recognized, felt important, and knew they belonged. 

As people, no matter what age, I think we all want to be noticed whether we realize it or not. We want to feel like we belong, that we have a place in this big world...where others know we exist in their community.  I think sometimes we overlook the importance of those around us and the simplistic relationships we have with them.  

Whether you are in college or in a career, when you arrive to school or work, what's the community you arrive to?  How does it make you feel? Who do you engage with what are those interactions like?Think about when you go to church and everyone says hello and greets you by name, how does that make you feel? Or when you go to the grocery and you catch up with the cashier...how does that quick conversation of how maybe your week or their week is going make you feel?  Collectively, how do you feel in your community or in society as a whole? Do you feel like you're just another customer, student, employee, member? 

This spring there was a blue truck with an older gentleman transporting hay everyday for about a week. He always honked and waved when passing by our house. While I have no idea who he was,  I knew he was a part of our cherished community and I have to say I started looking for my new "buddy" every morning and evening when he passed by. 

The country can be isolating, especially in winter, but I think it feels that way because in the winter we miss "seeing" one another, even if it's a mere honk or wave. There is something that makes a person feel like they are "living" when they are noticed, feel they belong, and have a place in the community in which they live. It makes us feel important, and who doesn't want to feel important?

The simple wave from my childhood that signaled to me I was close to home, is no longer a thing of the past in our new community. A wave, honk, or even both lets me know every day that  I. am. Home.

xo

Danielle