We all know how busy college can be sometimes.
Going day to day to classes, work, practice, meetings, social events... Sometimes it seems never ending.
You call home every now and then for a quick hello, but ultimately have to go because it's time for another class or you're headed to practice. You say your 'I love yous' and hang up the phone before realizing you didn't actually talk to your mom about anything other than how hard your test was or how mad a girl in your sorority made you.
You didn't say hey to your dad or ask your siblings how school is going. The days go by before you realize you haven't spoken to any family back home in a while and that familiar sting hits you so you promise to call later on when you get some free time.
But the free time never comes. So you never call.
College is busy. Life is busy.
Then one day you see it. That one weekend in months on your calendar where you are utterly and totally free. As in, you have nothing to do. So that's when you decide; you are going home.
You find the time to send a text saying you'll be headed home next weekend and are met with unbridled enthusiasm so you make a promise to yourself that you will try to come home more often.
So you do it. You plan your weekend to go home finally. You look forward to it so much that when the day finally comes you don't even give a second thought to the long drive ahead of you.
You get to see your mom and your dad. You get to tell them how you really are. You get to hear about how their lives are; how their jobs are going, anything new at work or with their friends. You get to wrap your arms around them and feel them squeeze you and know that no matter what, you are loved unconditionally by two people who physically cannot love you any less.
You get to see your brother and your sister. You get to talk to them about how school is going for you and for them. You get to learn what they are learning about and reminisce on getting to learn that under your teachers back in elementary school, junior high, and high school.
You get to see your grandparents. They shower you with the affection unique to a grandparent. You get to show them pictures from your life in the past few months; the cool costume you wore to a swap or the pretty flower you saw walking to class. They get to tell you stories about silly things you did when you were little and you get to walk around the house that holds so many memories of those same stories.
You get to see your pets, and if that doesn't bring you happiness then I don't know what to tell you. You get to hold them and squeeze them and make them mad at you with your love.
Don't you see? Going home is healing. Being around your family that knows you more than anyone else in this world ever will is healing to your mind, soul, and body. You get to sit around and laugh unbridled while not stressing about your next class or being anxious about the outcome of a meeting. You get to slip away from reality for a little while and just be free.
Don't ever hesitate to go home to your family, because they will always be your home.
