Home Sweet Home?

We were on vacation recently. It was a good vacation to the beach, and one we look forward to the whole year. There will be a whole beach post with pictures soon, once I download them off my camera.


With vacation, the getting there and getting back isn’t quite fun, as it never seems to be when you are traveling. You know that feeling- the one where you are headed home, and you just want to get there, be back in your own bed and settle back into everyday life. Unfortunately that feeling was taken away from us this year.

We ended up extending our vacation a few days, which was unplanned. Frank’s dad was in the hospital with gall stones. His health isn’t the most stable- he’s diabetic on dialysis and had both legs amputated a few years ago. He had a surgery while we were on vacation, and another procedure scheduled, so since it was on our journey home, we stopped for a few days. I called my sister and asked her to swing by our house to check on it, bring in the mail that was to be delivered that day, and water the plants.

Then it happened. That phone call that makes your stomach sink, your heart race, palms sweat, and mind go crazy. My sister called from our house, and someone had broken a window and most likely entered the house. We called the police, we stayed in touch on the phone, we talked back and forth to the police on the phone, and yes, we were robbed. Essentially the vacation-goers worst nightmare.

For what it was, it could have been worse. First of all, no one was there and no one was hurt. Unfortunately for my sister, but fortunately for us, since she discovered the break in we were more mentally prepared for entering the house. Also, the damage was fairly minimal. If you can be thankful for robbers, ours was pretty polite. Didn’t vandalize the house, didn’t randomly dump drawers. It appears that they only entered one room, or at least only one room looks touched. We lost a TV, Meredith’s piggy bank, and some of my jewelry.

We didn’t tell Meredith. I know that this is the best decision. I know that news like this would have paralyzed me with fear as a child, and she’s pretty similar to how I was. As much as I know it was the best decision, well, I sort of had a hard time with it. I’m very much about being honest and telling her the truth. Maybe it comes from having a hard time keeping secrets, I don’t know. The only other time I haven’t told her something was before her 5 year old shots, also a good decision. I’m sure she’ll put it all together some day, as one of those childhood mysteries.

So, back to “home sweet home”-- the return to our house wasn’t as awkward as I imagined. I sort of had this vindication of ‘This is my house. You are the intruder here. You should feel uncomfortable in my house, not me.’ Evenings are still a little difficult for me, but with time (and the security system we are having installed), I’m sure it will get better.

Now I just hate the fact that people may not feel comfortable coming to our home. That makes me sad, and I hope it isn’t true. I’ve always wanted and tried to make our home comfortable for guests, and hopefully it continues to be so.