Home Is Where the Heart Is

Hello, tender friends!

A dear friend got married on Basking Ridge, New Jersey last weekend. I had the honor of being a bridesmaid for what will probably be the last time. I catalogued every moment in my brain as the weekend progressed, appreciating the covenant of marriage in a way I didn’t yet fully understand when I got married myself.

But those musings are best left for another post.

This post is about the fact that home is where the heart is. And my heart is still in the tri-state area. As soon as we crossed into my home state, I lit up and fluttered like a firefly.

We weren’t technically at my home, as my hometown is 2 hours farther north. But still, the thirst in my soul was quenched with each northbound mile.

Everything was just so deliciously Jersey. When Anthony and I ran to get breakfast sandwiches for the bridesmaids the morning of the wedding, everyone chatted to us as they hustled to get us our order. When we left the bagel shop, Anthony said, “I think I’ve been living in the south too long. I had trouble understanding what they were saying. I think northerners actually do talk faster and it’s not just a stereotype.”

At the wedding reception, everyone in my age range was fist pumping in unison at one point. And yes, I was fist pumping too. It’s in me. Like everyone else there, I grew up watching The Jersey Shore. Cringey? Absolutely. Hyperbolic? Definitely. But still…that show defined something about that moment of time and what it was like to come of age in New Jersey in the 90s and early aughts.

I’m not sure what that something is…but I do know it was a comfort to be in an environment where I shared it with everyone else.

As we left the wedding reception, Cubby said, “Mommy, there are a lot more brown people in New Jersey than in Virginia.”

I choked, then realized he meant the comment innocently and laughed. “We need to come here more often then,” I told him.

My melanin is obviously limited (I’m the Polish type of Jersey girl), but I really want Jacob to be aware of diversity as he grows up.

One day I’ll tell Jacob, “This is your land. These are your people.” All of my family on both sides is from New York, Long Island and New Jersey. I’m just not sure I can live with breaking that family tradition.

Oh, and maybe this is inappropriate, but Anthony and I stole a moment for some kisses and some slow dances. Romance is rare these days, so this was a treat.

Ok, that’s all for today, tender friends! Next week I’ll share more of our trip. Thank God for all his traveling mercies!

Thank you for stopping by, and thanks for sharing.

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