Thinking While at "Home"

The word "home" has taken on different meanings to me over the years... (sigh, am I old enough to actually use the word "years" there??)
When I left for Nashville, "home" became synonomous with Canada. And somehow my friend Tammy and I became ambassadors for our country, even though what we often described as Canadian was only in reference to the booming metropolis of Newmarket. I now try to correct people when they label things I do or say as a Canadian-thing and remind them it's probably just a Judy-thing. At any rate, home was where my family was, where I had worked at the movie theatre, the mall, the donut shop, where I had gone to school, where I had gone to church, to camp, to the cottage... so MANY memories.
And then, with time, the word "home" shifted across the border to where Brett and I began our life together after getting married, where our family started. In the city where I spent most of my adult life (since we've moved further south now). It's where we earned our degrees, where we started those friendships that you know will last for life, where Brett began his journey as a coach, where we both learned that being a Christian is more than just going to church and praying when life gets rough.
And my heart feels at "home" whenever I return to Honduras in a way that I could never describe to you. I have so many God memories there that at times my heart becomes overwhelmed just thinking about it. And pictures of our little "family" in Santa Ana are proudly displayed on our fridge at home.
So while I've been home in Canada I was visiting a sweet friend of mine who innocently asked me the other night, "Have you been visiting many friends while you've been home?" to which I answered, after laughing out loud, "Well, I'm HERE..." We became friends in grade six and she's the only "friend" from home I still keep up with after all these years, since Tammy is still in the States. And I got to thinking...
All of these places are home to my heart for many different reasons and many different memories... and each of them have a common thread of being part of my family. Because one thing I've learned since moving away from home, and that is some of your friends will become part of your family. They're the ones you get to choose.
So, rejoice in the many places your heart calls "home" and the "family" you have there!