To My Second Family.

I have, inevitably, been changed again. I'm sitting here at my desk, back at school, trying to figure out how to put into words what has happened to me this week. It's difficult to explain...words fail a little bit. Oh, I went on a service trip and made some new friends? That's nice. But that devalues the experience. I have learned. I have learned that I have a spirit that needs to serve, in my own unique way. I have realized how I have been waiting for a community of like minded individuals to share my life with. 

People are strong, so much stronger than even they might know. I saw it manifested in the resilience of the homeowners we served, so thankful for their lives even though their houses had been ripped apart, possessions scattered to the winds. I saw it in my beautiful new family, so willing to open up and tell their deepest stories to people they met days ago. They make me laugh and cry. They break my heart with the painful experiences they have gone through, then put it back together with their kindness towards a world that has sometimes been unfair to them. Everyone is so much more complex than I could ever imagine. Even the people I thought I had all figured out. 

I struggle to express my love for my new family. Nothing seems to have enough power. To those of you reading this, know that I care so deeply for each of you, so much deeper than I can express. Life is magnificent and tragic and more than I ever could have hoped for. I'm a little scared for the future, but right now, I'm settling into a feeling of peace. I can face the future. We can face the future.