MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
Thursday, I was lonely.
Photos and stories flashed all day across social media of family and friends gathered around beautifully decorated dining room tables, the perfectly-roasted turkey in the centerpiece, colorful dishes scattered across the table, fun and laughter.
Friends, family . . . together.
As I scrolled through the images, it felt so faraway, so distant. In all reality, it was. Mine are thousands of miles across the ocean. Mine are located on the other side of the world.
Just a few months ago, I was in my home country. I spent four months in the U.S., enjoying my culture, my food, my family, my friends. You would think I would have had my fill, had enough.
It’s always the holidays that remind me how far away I am, how far away they are.
Distance. Depth.
I love living abroad. It’s been almost 31 years that I’ve been doing it.
But, it’s on those special days that I feel a deep longing in my soul for “home,” for “family.” I miss it.
Yes, I feel homesick.
“This is depressing,” I told my husband, as we strolled through the city streets hand-in-hand. It was quiet, cold, lonely. The thick dark clouds overhead looked as if they held wrapped packages of snow. Winter was in the air.
“It feels lonely here. We have no one to celebrate Thanksgiving with today,” I said.
We found a cozy tapas bar and had a drink and a snack before continuing on our way.
A Change of Heart
That evening, we built a fire, watched “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” ate French vegetable soup and Spanish empanadas.
It was lonely, even a bit sad, but I did not wallow around in those depressing feelings. No, I refused to stay there.
As I hugged my 8-year-old who sat in front of the computer screen with me watching Snoopy and Woodstock happily devour their pumpkin pie, another feeling overwhelmed me. It was so strong it quickly overtook my feelings of sadness and loneliness.
Gratitude. Thanksgiving.
“Thank you, God, for all your blessings . . . for family, for friends—near and far—for a warm home, for plenty of food on the table, for a steady job, for work I’m passionate about, for good health, for the blessing of living in another country—learning a foreign language and culture.”
Even if I was faraway from friends and family this Thanksgiving, nothing could take away my thankful heart.
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
If you celebrate Thanksgiving, what was your day like? Was it festive and fun with family? Was it quiet and a bit lonely? How can you find a heart of thanksgiving in the midst of loneliness . . . everyday of the year?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
