Ched Is Home

Ched is home.


In our thirty six years of marriage, Nancy and I have learned that there are few words sweeter to say . . . not just about Ched, (Though having him home is abso-tively su-onderful!) but about each of our children. To say, "Matt is home", or "Ray is home", or "Ched is home", is to savor a moment in time that always seems to pass far too quickly.

Each of our boys now have their own home settings, certainly, and with Matt and Ray, each has their own family obligations, yet, when they walk in the door of our home, they have come home to our hearts. The same would be true no matter where we lived. The ones birthed in the love two people share become co-inheritors of that family legacy. It gives me a deeper appreciation for the father of the Prodigal Son, who ran down the long lane of his estate to meet his youngest son as he returned home: 'The one once lost to whatever the world has to offer has now returned to spend time in the home of my heart.' Such moments are rarely rational to the casual observer and motivations are oft-times questioned, still, to the parent, 'Our child has come home' are the words of sacred liturgy few worship services are blessed to speak.

Hugging my Dad yesterday as we gathered for a different family celebration, I confess to hanging on just a little longer, to saying, "I love you" with a lot more meaning, and to appreciating a whole lot more all that he has done for each of us boys over the years. Even trying in these moments to give language to what only the heart can express leaves my eyes a bit teary in the failing of my words, for I wonder how many times my Dad and Mom said exactly the same thing of me . . . . and I went merrily on, not understanding how much my most casual visit meant. And, if so for we who are here on earth, how much more is it so for God, the Parent of all creation?

Ched is home . . . and I will cherish these days for the gift they are. Thank you, God, for this simple and powerful blessing. May I return the joy in being Home in You, always.