Most days I able to rationalize that my parents are busy taking care of those who need them most right now. They are holding babies, hugging orphaned children, befriending widows, teaching skills that will carry people throughout their lives in the vast country of Congo. Most days I realize that my parents, Debbie and Dave, are in Congo creating a "new normal" for themselves and taking every day as it comes. My Dad is up early spending time with God, reading and praying. My Mom is making sure that Dad doesn't starve considering his limited preferred food options. They send us clips of their home whilst they're away doing missionary work. Clips that include a toucan sitting in a tree, goats playing in their front yard the way rabbits hang out in ours. Most days I am so happy they are off on this adventure together, they listened to God speak into their lives and they trusted Him to provide and protect.
Then there are days like today. Days when I feel like I should be able to pick up the phone and chat with my Mom after I get the kids off to school. When I just wish I could drive up to Fort Collins and just be "Bink", their daughter - not the slew of hats I wear when I'm in my own territory. Days like today when I wish my Dad was just a phone call away either en route to visit someone who needs him to hold their hand and pray over them, or at his church office upstairs overlooking the sanctuary. Today is the kind of day I would do just about anything to have Dad sitting on my couch watching the news or ESPN after a meeting in Denver. He'd ask me for a bunch of things: "Whatcha got to drink, Bink?", "You got any chips?", "Let's run over to Best Buy (or Home Depot), I wanna look at something." And I'd oblige.
My family: my parents, my sister and I, are very close. I knew this before they left for Africa last December, but I think this has made it very clear just how close we all really are. What I know for sure is that no matter what kind of day it is, my parents miss me as much as I miss them and having family like that is something to cherish. But I can honestly say that I'm not sure it'll be as easy to be as selfless should they "ask" me if they can go fah-fah away for two years again. I hope they are fully enjoying their missionary work and immersing themselves into the beautiful culture of the Congolese - but come December 2013, when they return home, I may not be willing to "let" them leave the state for more than a week without getting a twitch.
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