I Am From...

I first saw an "I Am From" essay on A Path Made Straight. I followed her link and used (sorta) the template she suggested. I LOVE how she ended her essay and I used incredible self-control to NOT use her ending!

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I Am From

I am from banana-seat bicycles, Pop Shoppe soda, creamed honey on toast, and blue & green shag carpeting.

I am from a home with solar panels; drapes sticking to the frozen condensation on the sliding glass door; old, mysterious, non-functioning heating vents; and an attic with an old lifejacket and a huge boot hanging from the rafters.

I am from slender home-grown carrots with a "little dirt that never hurt", bluebells, dogwood trees, and blackberry vines creeping through the fence.

I am from Cones and Hoyts, Macdonalds and Foxes, Christmases of treasure hunts instead of stockings, word games, late night returns from holidays up north, and people talking very fast. Non-stop.

I am from "Sweet dreams" and "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite. If they do, take a shoe, and beat them 'til they're black and blue", and gift songs before bed.

I am from Wednesday night services, singspirations, Bible drills, and revival meetings. I am from evangelism filmstrips in homes I visited with my dad, the "bee"attitudes, and all-church retreats.

I am from the Pacific Northwest, the coast, the Willamette Valley. I am from broccoli/cauliflower/tofu casserole, clam chowder, and pecan pie.

I am from an uncle who, as a boy, built a chair in the basement that was too big to move out of the room; from two aunts adopted from Korea; from a grandfather who was a World War II glider man with the 101st Airborne Division; and a great-great-grandfather who was a missionary to China

I am from Mossyrock, Milton, and Minneapolis. I am from Oregon, South Dakota, and Alaska. I am from America, China, and Brazil. I am from people who love each other, people who value each other, and people who enjoy each other.

I am from home.