My heart is home:
Sandy Hook, CT
“The 203”
Here,
I learned how to ride my bike on two wheels
Falling off over and over again on Treadwell Park’s tennis courts
Never giving up
Knees scuffed in bruises while a smile remains on my face to compensate for my tears
Here,
I attended the best public schools where I was a student to many influential teachers
Who are why I am sitting here at my desk
Completing school work to pursue my Secondary Education English degree
To teach and change lives just like they did for me
Here,
My father drives me on Thursday nights
To the Blue Colony Diner bar
For a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate sauce
While quoting movie lines that make us laugh and talking about sports
Here,
My mother plants beautiful gardens around our house
And never goes to sleep until all of her children are okay and have what they need
She’s there for my siblings and I
And withholds the qualities of a mom I would like to be someday
Here,
There are numbers and numbers of different kinds of restaurants
And while none of them are fast food places,
There is a local Jumbo Dogs
With foot long hot dogs and the greasiest cheat meal you can indulge
Here,
We have two ice cream shops: one on each side of the town
One with fresh-made ice cream from the cows at the farm across the street
And another ice cream place
With avalanche ice cream: where the toppings are never gone after the first two bites
Here,
I’ve been the youngest child of three
Proudly watching my siblings grow up
I witnessed my brother become an Airman in the United States Air Force
And became an aunt to my nephew, the son of my sister who grew to be a loving mommy
Here,
I became an athlete
I played tee-ball in preschool
Picked up softball and basketball recreationally
And fell in love with field hockey instantly
Here,
I learned resilience
I learned that in the toughest of situations,
Where it feels like the sun won’t rise again for a happy day with clear skies,
The sun will rise again and better days will come
Here,
I learned how fast you can lose someone in life
And how a simple act of kindness
Can spark a change in the world
I experienced how love wins and conquers evil
Home is where my heart is
My heart is at home
Home is a place
That is a close-knit and loving and accepting community
It’s a place where you walk into any grocery store or coffee shop
And have someone to say hello to and hug
It’s a place where your taste buds will always be satisfied
Because of so many options to eat at different types of restaurants
It’s the only place that on the busiest street in town,
Main Street,
There is a flagpole in the center of the road
At a four-way intersection
North
South
East
West
Four coordinates coming together to one point
Representing one nation
One country
One community
One melting pot of cultures
No matter our skin tones
We all embody the qualities to be kind to one another
Our flag flies high in the center of the street
Where all of the coordinates collide
Representing all of the people who are a part of this place I call home
Sandy Hook, CT
a small town
within
the
United States of...
