Today

I'm going home today!!!

We've been away a lot over the last few months and I've enjoyed the opportunity to travel, to train, to hopefully influence others. But ....

I'm going home today!!!

Six nights in my own bed. Six nights eating my own food. Six nights snuggled into my daily routine. It's a joy to have this time. My home is set up for me, for my wheelchair, for my disability. My bathroom is set up for comfortable poos and secure showers. My kitchen is set up for my contribution to the feast. My office is set up for easy movement and ready access.

I try not to moan about it but being disabled on the road is always a bit of a stressor. Hotel rooms are very loose with the definition 'accessible' ... lecture halls are impersonally accessible - works for most, not all, seldom me. But because of Joe's willingness, I am able to make it where I need to go and do what I need to do.

But home is different. We can each do what we need to do. Joe does less for me there. I do more for him there. It feels more equal. It feels more reciprocal. It feels like welcome.

I'm going home today!!!

I'm going to be working at my day job, my real job, for the next several days. Sure I keep in touch every day via email. I try to make it such that there isn't more than a 24 hour period for people to wait for a response to a question or to get a review of a programme or procedure. I sometimes fail, but I'm sure I get at least a 80 percent grade on that.

But it's not the same as having people pop in to my office and discuss things face to face. It's not the same as having personal contact. Emails convey thoughts but seldom feelings and as such so much can be missed and misunderstood. So, it's going to be good to be back amongst the team doing teamly stuff.

I'm going home today!!!

Where ever I go, I find people welcoming and eager - I am lucky to have my work acknowledged and honoured. The opportuntity to do what I do in the manner that I do it is astonishing. I'm about to leave on a month long lecture tour ... WOW. I never thought, I never believed ... but it's true. It's a privilege to be out there ... to be away ...

But it's sure good to be home.

Home is a feeling akin to heaven.

Belonging is a feeling akin to love.

Because I have these two things ... I am truly, deeply, blessed.

Oh, and ...

I'm going home today.