When the prodigal son returns, he’s afraid. Very afraid, as the bible tells us. (keep reading, I’m not getting biblical on you) He wasted his entire inheritance, abandoned his family, and screwed up royally. Yet he goes home, faces the truth, and prepares to beg for forgiveness.
Because at some point we all have to go home.
But life doesn’t always follow the story. Or maybe it always does, but it’s the path that becomes entirely different.
We’re not prepared for the hill that lays in wait just before the doorstep. The hill built out of fear, hate, spite, revenge, hurt, and denial. The hill that our home has not built, but the one that the prodigal son has built himself. And we can’t see our loved ones standing in circles around that hill with shovels, and spades, and even explosives, just waiting for the words to be spoken, just waiting to help tear down that hill.
Yet we choose to add to the hill. Always heaping on more and more, making it seem impossible.
Until we despise the idea of going home all together.
But you see, going home is not an option you can choose to ignore. Denying truths only eat at your soul. One way or another you will climb that hill, eventually.
And just know you have a family, waiting to hold your hand…
Coffee and Spellcheck 
Very insightful. Love this post
Thank you Melanie ❤
Hmm, yes and no.
Sometimes you just have to make a different home. Sometimes the going home is less about others and more about yourself. Sometimes you just have to come home to self.
True, but even with a new home, or a new self, there’s still the same “demons” to face, the same problems to solve, and such. Coming home is more about owning up to that which you need to own up to, and knowing that you don’t always have to go it alone. ❤
Sometimes home is a bad, bad place, and escaping it is the only way to survive. It doesn’t make it any less home, and it doesn’t abate the damage of loss – of losing your first and primal post to the world. But maybe a soul can be healed, lifted, if you’re standing at the top of that hill with binoculars, just waiting until it’s safe to come down. Beautiful post.
If my interwebs were not so sluggish today, I’d have to go back in and add a footnote. I think everyone has a different thing in their life that they have run from in some way, something that despite our fleeing we will have to go back to face. And that hill in front of this thing, person, or place I believe to be part of the healing process. It’s just up to us (in most cases) how big, how hard we make that hill. When the situation is our own doing. (of course) This post is in refrence to a current family situation we have been dealing with for a few years, and the person has just come back into contact with us, but isn’t ready yet to step forward onto that hill… ❤
Thanks Desi!
I understand. I’m standing on that hill, right now, regarding a family situation that’s developed over the past several months, and I am not ready to come back down. Thank you for such a raw, honest post. ❤
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Emily, I don’t have the words to tell you how much I love this post! Funny… this was the parable focused on at our church service yesterday. Is God trying to tell me something?
HrrrRrrmmm… 😉 There’s always a good point in that lesson, always. ❤