A month and a half of family time. Sweet and real, challenging and emotional, hard and deeply beautiful. We are saying our last goodbyes. The girls have never wavered in their joy and delight of being here. Not even once. It gave me permission to feel all my emotions, and at times I wished I was back home, safe in my own space.

The truth is that even it’s stormy inside, or dark or cold, if it’s uneasy, nothing on the outside can change the inner peace. Sure, a warmer outdoors, a sunny sky, birdsongs, no traffic, those do help. But in essence, the peace comes from within.

We travel home. Home for now. Goodbyes are hard. Emotional. More intense for some than for others. Here I’m with Jackie. More stoic. Ivy and Conrad wear their hearts on their sleeve, and show their heartache of goodbyes.

We are loved. And we love deeply. What a good reason to ache.

In our imperfection, in our obliviousness, we make mistakes. We err. Daily. And we forgive and ask for forgiveness. The only way we could move forward is by evolving in our friendship, and being teachable and generous. I was reminded on this trip of how much I do love Conrad’s side of the family. My family.