Many of us are spending more time at home now than ever before.
Global pandemics of highly infectious diseases with no known treatment or vaccine tend to have that effect, I guess.
In mid-March, most of our lives were changed in ways that are pretty hard to believe.
When the students left school on March 16, it was not a good feeling.
Bringing everything to my house that I needed to teach from home was an even weirder feeling.
When I got my home office set up and started to see some students and colleagues again over Zoom conferences, it felt a little better.
But recording videos of myself teaching and having 95 percent of all communication done via email is no way to do my job.
When people ask me how distance learning is going, my standard reply is, “Better than I expected,” which is true.
But it’s still not very much fun.
While I’m definitely getting more used to this new normal, I’m also sick of it.
I’m homesick.
Yes, you read that right.
After being at home almost non-stop for six weeks, I’d say I’m homesick.
I’m sick of being at home. But I’m also missing other “homes.”
Think of the old saying, “Home is where the heart is.”
Indeed, home is more than just the house I live in.
For me, my classroom full of students and school full of co-workers is also home.
Supporting students at spring sports, concerts, and especially graduation also feels like home.
And I’m sure missing those things, like so many of you are.
Being at church is like being at home for me. I miss that home and the people there.
I suppose the list could go on, but you get the point.
And maybe you’re a little homesick, too.
Homesick for the places and people outside of home that make life meaningful and enjoyable.
While technology allows me to teach, talk to students, attend meetings, worship, and see friends and family over the computer screen, it’s no cure for my homesickness.
If you’re like me, you’ve been keeping a mental list of all the things you took for granted and promising not to do so when they return.
Maybe we’re all realizing how many “homes” we really have.
While it might be a while until we can safely return to our other homes, recognizing the value they have in our lives is a good first step in treating this homesickness.
Being grateful for the blessings that I still have, especially my good health, helps a lot, too.
The forced separation that has caused my homesickness has, and continues to be, a necessary and valuable thing.
Not only has it slowed the spread of the virus, saved lives, and given our medical providers valuable time to prepare, it’s helped me realize what really matters.
And I can’t wait to go home again.