I've Stopped Running

My life used to be about running away,

getting a fresh start.

Bouncing from place to place,

clinging to door frames and hiding my face.

As much as I tried to hide,

People took my hands and told me to come inside.

I took my shoes off

and felt roots planting themselves into homes,

Into people.

With every goodbye,

There was a stronger tug,

A deeper resistance,

A longer hug.

Because I am no longer running or hiding.

I am exploring my life,

and counting the days until I get to go home.

They say home is where the heart is,

But home is also where I grew up,

Where I got my first job,

Where I scraped my knee for the first time,

and who held me when I cried.

Home is not just a place.

It is family,

It is friends,

It is memories.

When home is scattered across the globe,

Your heart is drawn to several places

Parks,

Apartments,

Old faces.

Although there is always someone I am without,

I am the luckiest woman in the world

To have people to miss.

I will miss my mom,

My aunts,

My uncles,

My brother,

My cousins,

My friends,

My grandma,

and all the familiar things I love.

I am going away again,

But this time it's different.

I am not running.

I am not hiding.

I am looking back,

Holding home with me

As I move forward.