No Place Like Home

Do you ever have those moments when nostalgia rushes in on you and covers you up like a hot wind? It starts with being a little homesick; maybe it was triggered by a song lyric or a vague memory. Then it kind of swells up inside of you with adrenaline and an almost overwhelming desire to just break and run; dump everything you're doing, pack what fits in the back of your truck and just take off. Most people, especially women, don't understand what it means to a man to be respected and liked by the men he knows. And that's especially true when what you grew up knowing and valuing in life was the rougher things--backing your buddy's play, standing your ground, knowing you could survive almost anything, knowing you could take a life if that's what it took to protect those you love. How do you explain that so that it makes sense to someone who never felt it? How do you translate the feeling you had sitting on a tailgate on a dirt road with your best friends in the world--simple, honest, strong friends who all loved each other without ever having to say it--singing at the top of your lungs or laughing together about something stupid with a long-neck beer in your hand? How do you mourn the loss of that feeling? How do you quell the anger at the fear you feel knowing you may never have that feeling again? What's the cure for the blues you get when you feel like you're looking back at more of your life than you're looking forward to?

I can't answer all of those questions, but there are some things I know about me that are just as important. There's nothing like the pride of being the father of daughters. Daughters who love God and have hearts that break for people who are in need. There's nothing like the feeling that swells in a dad's heart when his little girl (who isn't really little any more) stands on a stage and sings a song so beautifully that angels walk away with their heads down. What can compare to looking into the face of a girl whose outlook on life is so pure and excited that it's impossible not to be uplifted when she's around? What in life could match the realization that a woman has loved you enough to stay true for over 20 years--and not nearly all of them have been easy for her?

Well......damn. Seems like life has more questions than answers. Who would have thought?