My head is sort of spinning. I'm having Christmas in the US for the first time since 2010, and that year we spent it in Florida. So this is my first cold Christmas since 1996. I didn't post anything last week for Poetry Friday because it was my first full day in the States and there was a lot of the head-spinning. The biggest reason is that when we left Haiti, we left for good. We spent the last six weeks of our time there packing up our whole life. After 25 years of living there, we no longer do.
There are so many emotions, enough for many weeks of processing to come. In January I'll post about where our new home will be. My husband has taken a new job, and our adventures will continue. But I'm still in the grieving stage right now, grieving our life in Haiti, which has been challenging but also so beautiful.
Leaving the house where we had lived for twenty years and raised our children was very difficult. I will probably dream about it for a long time, maybe the rest of my life. It is by far the longest I have ever lived in one place.
I chose Kate Coombs' poem "Grandma's House" to share with you today. It describes a mother and child leaving Grandma's house, now packed up and empty, unrecognizable as the home it used to be when Grandma lived there. The poem is in the Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School, one of my favorite resources for poetry to share with my students. I left my copy in my classroom in Haiti, but I also have it on my Kindle, so I can continue to use it in my new classroom. The most relevant line of this poem to my current situation is "nothing/ is the way it used to be." You can hear the poem read and watch a video to go with it here.
12 comments:
Thinking of you, Ruth, as you try to have your head and heart catch up to your new situation. The past is always separate from us, but yours is separate now physically as well as temporally. Thank goodness you have a wonderful husband and a poetic heart. Merry Christmas, Ruth xo
I have been thinking of you, Ruth, since first reading that you left Haiti. I can imagine how difficult this move must be--especially leaving behind the home and community where your children grew up. Wishing you a joyful Christmas and a joyful new home. Thanks also sharing the beautiful video of Kate's poem.
ohhh... I feel that. I still dream about Tanzania, forty years later.
All good wishes for the new year, your new home, and your new life.
Sending you all good thoughts as you embark on your next adventure, Ruth. Remember to breathe and give yourself grace whenever you need it. :)
Ruth: Reading your post and listening to this beautiful poem leaves me with such mixed emotions also. I can only wish you some quiet time to consider what comes next. Many blessings for your Christmas and the days ahead.
Lovely bittersweet poem which pairs so well with where you are. Sending you hugs and hope for this new journey you and your husband have begun, and a Merry Christmas to you and your family, with safe travels as you move forward, xox
Moving in any circumstance is hard. I am sad for the grief you are experiencing in leaving Haiti and the home where you raised your children. It will always be on your heart. God bless you in your new endeavors. Merry Christmas!
I wish you the best as you settle in your new home. The poem you shared is so evocative of feelings of loss and moving on. Thank you for this lovely post.
Haiti has definitely left its footprint on your heart. Your relevant line reverberates for me, as well, in this first year of retirement. But really, change is constant. The waves might seem too big right now, but soon you'll be able to stand up in your canoe and raise your arms to the sky.
I can't imagine leaving after all those years, your children's growing up places. Embrace the dreams and the processing. That is such a great poem for today. Be gently with yourself and allow the emotions to swirl though you.
Ruth, I'm seeing this late. But, welcome home, dear. I'm sorry your grieving but so glad you are safe and have a future to plan for. Best to you.
Ruth, I did not know for sure if you left Haiti for a short time or whether it was a lasting goodby. I can understand your emotions and can't wait to hear where you will be living in the states and what type of school & grade you will be teaching. Life is a series of adventures and you certainly have had your share of them. The poem you shared this week is touching. Take each step slowly. The type of move you made must be more overwhelming than mine. Peace be with you.
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