Hometown Glory

So, after all the vacationing, I ended up in Rocky Mount, North Carolina--my hometown. I have been so homesick for the past couple of months to a year and I needed that time at home to recharge my batteries--if you will. Being back home in the quiet, green, country atmosphere really made me feel relaxed, comfortable and just safe.

As the baby of my family of six, I was the last to leave the nest. I couldn't wait to get out of there because my mother and myself didn't have the best relationship and on top of that, we were always so poor, sometimes there wouldn't be anything to eat in the house. I was ready to go off to college and leave all of that behind, but there was no monetary support nor support in general for me to go off to school. So, in being 45 minutes away from home and responsible for me and only me--I felt a type of freedom that was brand new to me. I shied away from going home. I would only make the short trip when necessary.

Surprisingly enough, by the time my sophomore year rolled around, my mother and I got a lot closer.I guess emotionally, we both hit an equilibrium and we were able to exist in complete peace. Home became comfort, for the first time in my life. When I moved up to NYC, home became an out of sight, out of mind situation. Whenever I would call home and hear all the problems going on, I just wanted to hang up and forget that all the stress existed.

Which is why since I have been living here for almost three years, I've only been home twice. I just never wanted to revisit my mother's sickness, financial issues, and everything else that home represented. But I decided recently that it was time to suck that shiz up and go home. Boy, am I glad I made that decision! Home was phenomenal. My mother looked and felt amazing!

Her Fibromyalgia, Diabetes and whatever else these doctors try to diagnose her with, always seem to get the best of her. Not anymore! My mom was glowing! She even got down and dirty with her flowers!

I even got my brother to sort of pose in a photo and he never does!

Then of course, I had to get my two little pieces of sunshine--my neices. It is so crazy to me how much they have grown. They are little ladies with personalities all their own. It amazes me to see how things change. I remember a time when Azariah--my older neice--was first diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and I couldn't have been more scared for her. I watched her limp to and fro and instead of going out to play--sit sadly on the couch. Now that her arthritis is manageable, she's active and even talks about playing basketball professionally. :) It makes my heart smile.