Home

What is home? Home is the place you can go and expect familiarity. Things will always be the same at home. At home you are comfortable. You are safe. You are loved. For me Joplin, Missouri was home. Even though I moved away 8 1/2 years ago, Joplin always provided for me the things I think about when I think of home. I was born there. I grew up there. I lived in the same house from birth until the day I got married. 3 1/2 weeks ago, the familiarity of Joplin was taken from me and thousands of others. Many people lost so much that tragic Sunday afternoon. In comparison to some, my losses are small. To me, they appear large at times and miniscule at others. Thank God all of my family survived the storm. In light of this, our losses are small. I lost the comforts of my childhood home. The walls are still standing, but it has a lot of damage. It will never again be the home I knew. It will be different, even after it's repaired. My parents built that house. They brought me and my three sisters home from the hospital to that house. So many wonderful memories were made there year after year. Even though it's just a house, it's our home. It's sad. It's hard to see the home you love torn apart like that, but again, it's a loss not as great as so many. Most of the contents on the inside of the house were saved. Our pictures, our baby books, our important papers are all still in our possession. What a blessing that is!!! My mom put it so well when she said, "My whole sphere of living is gone!". It's true. My parents business that sat on the corner of 20th and Duquesne was directly in the path of the tornado and is gone. It took them awhile to find the building because it had been ripped apart so badly. They did find a family picture though that was hanging on the wall of the office. Here is a picture of my Aunt Lori holding it. Just a couple of days ago another picture of my oldest 2 sons taken in 2004 was found. It also had been displayed in the office.

The Walmart where my parents did their grocery shopping is gone. The Home Depot that my parents had been in 3 times just the week before, is gone. The Sonic where my mom and I would go to enjoy our sweet teas with extra ice is gone.
The salon where my mom has gotten her haircut for 20+ years is gone. The gas station where my dad would gas up all his cars and where he would make his late night snack runs is gone. This same gas station is where I drove to get Dortios for tacos as my first time driving alone the day I got my drivers license. The farm where my parents would buy a whole cow and freeze it is gone. All the cows are dead. The tire and lube express where my parents would get oil changes and some work done on their cars is gone.
CiCi's pizza was a favorite date place for me and Greg in highschool and it's gone. So many places that were depended upon are gone! Just gone! I and so many others no longer have the security and comfort that being home brought. But with the loss of the security and comfort of home, one thing about home still remains. LOVE! Never in my life have I seen Joplin so united. Never before so compassionate. Joplin has always been a wonderful place. In this tragedy, the wonderful things about this place I call home are even more evident. People who lost everything helping people who lost everything. The outpouring from the local people, who have all been affected, has been awesome to see. God has brought this "little big town" together like never before.

Even though so much was lost on May 22nd, so much has also been gained. Family has always been the most important thing to me. This has just been reinforced because of that storm. The few minutes from the time I got the text from my sister asking if I'd heard from mom and dad to the time I received the text from my dad that said "Werok" was excruciating! I will never take my family for granted!!

I have been reminded to make the most of every opportunity. Every opportunity to say "I love you". Every opportunity to squeeze the ones you love. Every opportunity to make sure your loved ones know how you feel about them. Every opportunity to be with those who matter most.

I have learned that home is where your family is. As much as I love my home at 4029 Belle-Lock Pl. in Joplin, after we moved my parents into their rental house in Mt.Vernon, it felt like home. Not because I had grown up there. Not because I had any special connection to that house. Not because I had made special memories there, but because my family was there. No building made of bricks and wood and drywall could ever be home without my family.
I have learned that there is no greater thing on earth than to serve others. We hadn't been in Joplin 20 minutes when a guy and his wife on a 4 wheeler came by 20th and Duquesne, where we were surveying the damage, with bottled water and Gatorade. These people were from Webb City, the next town over. From what I have seen of Joplin since the tornado hit, the tornado does not define who Joplin is. It's not defined by the destruction that covers 1/3 of the city. It's not defined by the homeless or the hurt. It is not defined by what we've lost. What defines Joplin is the service. It's the caring and compassion. It's the love and the helping. It's the hope and the confidence that one day our town will be better than it was before. It's Joplin! No matter how long I live away from Joplin, it is and always will be my home sweet home!




*Not all of the pictures in this blog are mine. I just found them various places.*