Home

Each one of us has an image of that special place we call (or called) “home.”  This might be where we grew up, or maybe where we live now.  While most of us have an image of a place of warmth, safety and comfort, there are some whose image is much different.

That’s why I found it quite interesting when I saw this “home” sitting on our conference table the other day.  After walking around it and admiring it I had to ask, “So, can someone tell me what this might be?”

The reply:  “A birdhouse!”

Hmmm, ok.

The children had been working on it for a couple of weeks.  Sticks, leaves, twigs, tape, foil, paper.  A perch for the birds, a door, a removable roof.  It was quite an engineering masterpiece. There was even a kite for the birds to fly.  I wondered what was going through their minds as they put it together.  Did they want to make it pretty?  Easy to use?  Safe?  Fun?  All of the above?

Then I noticed a furry “dog” sitting on the table close by.  I had to do a double take because it was a stuffed animal that looked exactly like Hudson (also known as “Fidget”) who had just left us for a new home.  Hudson had been staying with Sr. Mary while he recovered from a broken leg.  But he left the day before to go live with his new family in his furever home. 

Transitions.  We have a lot of that here.

When children leave Blessing House, they are going “home,” too.  But like Hudson, some leave to go to new homes.  Some may be leaving to go live with a relative.  Some may be leaving to go live in a different home because they were forced to leave their old one.  Some may be leaving to go live with their families in a home that’s not theirs because they have no place else to go.  We know that our children will often have many homes before they become adults, just because of the circumstances they are facing.  Their lives are in constant transition.

The next morning, Antwan asked, “Where’s Hudson?”

Sr. Mary told him, “He went to his new home!”

Somehow, that was reassuring to Antwan and he just smiled.  After all, maybe he would be leaving soon to go “home,” too.  And maybe he would take the birdhouse with him. After all, he had helped create it.

But Antwan knew that Blessing House was a place for those who needed a home, even if it was only for a short time.  So when he left, he said he wanted to leave the birdhouse at Blessing House for the little birds who might need it.

A perfect image, isn’t it?