Home on the Way

People need homes: Children assume their parents’ place as home; boarders call school “home” on weekdays; married couples work together to build new homes; and travelers—have no place to call “home”, at least for a few nights. 【小题1】 Don’t they have the right to a home? Of course they do.

Some regular travelers take their own belongings like bed sheets, pillowcases and family photos to make them feel like home no matter where they are; some stay for long periods in the same hotel and as a result become very familiar with the service and attendants; 【小题2】 Furthermore, driving a camping car during one’s travel and sleeping in the vehicle at night is just like home.

And how about keeping relationships while in transit? 【小题3】; some send letters and postcards, or even photos；others may just call and say hi, just to let their friends know that they’re still alive and well. People find ways to keep in touch. Making friends on the way helps travelers feel more or less at home. 【小题4】

Nowadays, fewer people are working in their local towns, so how do they develop a sense of belonging? Whenever we step out of our local boundaries, there is always another “home” waiting to be found. 【小题5】, we can make the place we stay “home”.

I recently gave my adult class homework. The assignment was to "go to someone you love and tell them you love them. It has to be someone you have never said those words to before or haven't shared those words with for a longtime".

That doesn't sound like a tough assignment, but most of the men in that group were over 35 and were taught that expressing emotions is not “manly".

At the beginning of our next class, I asked if someone wanted to share what happened when they told someone they loved them. One of the men raised his hand. He appeared quite moved and a bit shaken.

He began by saying, "I didn't feel that I had anyone to say those words to. But as I began driving home, I knew exactly who I needed to say 'I love you' to. Five years ago, my father and I had a disagreement and never resolved it. We hardly spoke to each other."

"The next morning, I called my dad. When he answered the phone, I said, 'Dad, can I come over tonight? I have something to tell you.' I ensured him it wouldn't take long, so he finally agreed."

"At 5:30, I was at my parents' house ringing the doorbell. As luck would have it, Dad answered the door."

"I took one step in the door and said, 'Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.'"

"His face softened, his wrinkles（皱纹）disappeared and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, 'I love you too, son, but I've never been able to say it."

"Dad and I hugged for a moment longer. I hadn't felt that great in a long time."

"Two days after that visit, my dad had a heart attack and ended up unconscious in the hospital. I don't know if he'll make it."

"My message to all of you is this: Don't wait to do the things that need to be done. Take the time to do what you need to do and do it now!"

I’d done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip, as always, I’d bring back nothing more than some mud on my boots, a hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.

The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home’s dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family’s temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I’d ever seen, she yelled, “Ma, Ma, they really came!” I didn’t know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she’d say another word near me.

Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair — her grandmother, we’d soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire-damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times, I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.

By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change. Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room — so much. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before — Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother.

Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn’t until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she’d made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls — one much taller than the other — and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her, and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart: “Please don’t leave”. Now almost in tears, I couldn’t control myself anymore — I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither of us could let go.

I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too — a greater appreciation for all of the blessings of my life. I’ll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she’ll never forget me either.