Long distance everything

Dad called right when I was starting to feel sorry for myself about being here all summer instead of home. Something about hearing his voice asking how I’m eating and if I’m getting enough sleep just made everything feel too far away.

Long distance everything

Jake showed up with iced coffee right in the middle of my getting weepy about missing Mom’s cooking and our back porch and even our annoying neighbors. Instead of running away from my homesick rambling, he just settled in and started rubbing my shoulders while I talked.

Turns out Dad wanted to tell me about the new bird feeder he put up and how many cardinals are visiting now. Thirty minutes of cardinal updates and suddenly I felt connected again instead of stranded.

Twenty minutes later and he’s still here.

Sometimes the cure for missing home isn’t going back - it’s having someone willing to sit through the long conversations that make the distance feel smaller.