A Korean Homecoming

Homecomings are usually celebrated events, filled with joy, excitement, and reuniting and this past holiday season was no exception. After numerous stresses leading up to the three-week long Holiday Break, including the loss of my maternal Grandfather (Louie Justin), endless concert preparations, holiday parties, and gift-giving, my return to the states on Dec. 17, 2010 was truly a joyous and exciting event. It really was a "Homecoming" of friends, family, and loved ones and I was truly grateful for the chance to see so many and to reconnect with so many beloved people in my life who were more than curious to hear about what I'd been up to here in Korea ;-)

On Dec. 9, 2010, I learned of my Grandfather's passing while walking home late from work after an evening choir rehearsal. I felt so trapped...so isolated....so helpless....what could I do? Nothing. There was nothing I could do. I was so far away and so many miles away, that the thought of even thinking I could do something was an impossibility. And so I cried. I cried and cried and even despite the overwhelming help I received from so many of the wonderful people I've come to meet here at Seoul Foreign School, there was still an emptiness of not being able to be there when Grandpa passed.

But he was home. He had his own "Homecoming" with the belief that he had come home to the Lord...the KNOWLEDGE that he had come home to the Lord....and even tho we were driven to tears here on earth, the knowledge of Grandpa's homecoming was enough to bring back a sense of peace - an event that truly WAS filled with joy, excitement, and reuniting.

And so upon my own "Homecoming" to the states, although I'd felt so far and so distant from being able to see Grandpa is his final hours, I was humbled knowing I'd be able to attend his wake and funeral. What a glorious thing to be reunited with family and friends and to know that I too could find closure in such a miraculous Homecoming.

And so the "Homecoming" I had in saying farewell to my Grandpa and the "Homecoming" I had over my three-week break with friends and family, soon led me back to a "Korean Homecoming", where I was once again reunited with my new life here in Seoul, my new friends, and my new loves. Strange how something that was so foreign and so unknown has now become something that is also "home"...

The High School here at SFS had it's "Homecoming Dance" this past Saturday, Jan. 15. I got to go and, just like the "good ol' days" from my own high school experiences, kids were dressed to the nines and enjoyed an evening of dining, dancing, and fun! The gym was completely decked out and transformed into a "Homecoming Haven" - I found it strange that one would celebrate Homecoming during the month of January, considering most U.S. schools do it sometime in the early fall, but then again...there's no distinct rule of when a Homecoming should or shouldn't take place....because let's be honest: Homecomings happen all the time! Like when you "come home" from work at the end of the day, or when you "come home" after a long trip. Or what about when you reunite with friends and family (like I did this Holiday season), or when, like my Grandpa, you come home to the Lord? I seriously doubt in that sense of the meaning that "time of the year" has much to do with anything, especially if Homecomings are happening all the time!

But "Homecoming" is a word to me that exudes comfort. It exudes happiness and it exudes contentment. Maybe I'm so fond of it because of my own memories of past Homecomings...but whatever the reason, this new year has put a new perspective on the word "Homecoming" and what it means to truly "come home" and to "be home".

Blessings to each of you this new year and promises for many new and exciting blog posts (from yours truly!) in the weeks to come!