Being away so long, you forget how much you really missed certain people and things. And when you come back, you wonder: Will it feel the same? Will the relationships be different?
I think when you’re younger, family just feels normal.
You don’t really notice the small things because you assume they’ll always be there. Then life gets louder, harder, and more complicated, and one day you realize how rare it is to have people who will still answer the phone no matter what.
Being in my 40s now, I realize how truly wonderful life can be. And a lot of that comes from the people who refuse to let you do life alone.
God, did I miss them. I wasn’t nervous exactly, but I was curious whether it would feel the same or different.
I wasn’t sure what I was coming back to or what the future was going to look like. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it would be okay.
I thought coming back to my pups would be the highlight of it all. Then I told my family that I was back.
New adventures began. To say they’ve been supportive and constantly checking in would be an understatement.
Now family has become friends, and somehow I ended up with a best friend I never saw coming or realized I needed.
I won’t pretend coming back has been all unicorns and rainbows. That would be a lie. It’s life, so there have been some hard moments. But they’ve been outweighed by the good ones, and that’s thanks to them.
And the best part of it all? They seem to enjoy the hippie Zen Danielle and the new gray hair (yes it is natural.) Somehow, thanks to them, I’ve also accidentally become the family tech support.
Thanks guys.
You know who you are.
