From what I hear, it's pretty cold at home too...
I think the cold weather has been flooding me with memories from home - my family and Bethel. I miss walking to and from SG in the cold with the girls... and making "cold noises" with Jana Alexis... rushing to our apartment to make tea/hot chocolate/coffee... I miss cuddling with my mom and Emma in our big living room with the fireplace. I miss making pumpkin roll for Thanksgiving with my Mom...
I guess today was just more of a difficult day. I feel like the cold is taking more energy out of me this year than I've ever noticed before... which makes me perhaps a bit quieter at school... and more prone to noticing the Korean conversations all around me (which I can't understand all that well... making me feel more homesick, I guess). It means SO MUCH to me when someone translates for me.... (the key word is *when*).
I'm teaching about Thanksgiving this week and next week. I thought it would be a good idea - my own way of celebrating Thanksgiving with the students. We're talking about Thanksgiving food this week and next week we'll be talking about what we're thankful for. I planned it that way on purpose so that I could prepare myself for some delicious Thanksgiving feasting with church friends this upcoming Sunday. In the back of my mind, I thought it could make me more prone to homesickness... but shook it off and figured everything would be okay. Then today, in the midst of one of my lessons, I remembered that all this Thanksgiving feasting is supposed to be enjoyed with your family. I'm definitely thankful for my friends here for sure!!! There's still no replacement for my family, though...
It's good to miss home. It's good to miss Nana's spaghetti on Thanksgiving. It's good to miss Grandpa's jokes. It's good to miss the way my mom makes the whole house feel warm - with her baking, candles, music, and mere presence. It's good to miss snow angels with the girls... traipsing all around campus and singing silly songs in the gazebo... It's good to miss cuddling close with my roommates in Egle 101... It's good to miss Bethel... It's good to miss living with people...
I'm so thankful for all of the memories I have to cherish from the past. Yeah, today's one of those hard days that I knew would come at some point. There will be other hard days too, I'm sure.
In the midst of it all, I AM thankful for my life here... I'm thankful for my school and the amazing friends God has blessed me with here. I'm thankful for my church. I'm thankful to have my own apartment. I'm thankful for this experience... thankful for JESUS...
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
3 comments:
What a true test of thankfulness, Holly: to be thankful when you're missing people and it's more tough than usual. Keep enjoying the memories . . . and I pray Jesus also provides new memories there in Korea. May He be your "home."
This entry brought back such good memories for me. Cold noises. :) Snow angels. Hot drinks. Sitting on our couch with blankets and talking. Gazebo dancing. I'm incredibly thankful for such sweet times. Thanks for reminding me.
Jana
Enjoy every moment! Even the ones that freeze your nose :) I hope that you are having an amazing time and learning something new every day! Hang in there, you can do it! One step at a time!
i wish i would have read this earlier than now...i've been thinking a lot about Egle 101 memories more recently (and i think it's also because of the colder weather)
thanks for the memories, holly.
i love you.
charity
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