Editor’s Note: Ronda and I grew up in the same village and recently reconnected. Her article got me thinking about home and a sense of belonging. What does home mean to you? Is it an actual place or does it exist in our heart or mind?

How many of us who were raised in small towns and rural communities couldn’t wait to grow up and reach the day of the great escape? I was one of those people, dreaming of the moment I would leave for bigger, more exciting places. And yet, as a child, I loved my little village for so many reasons. I cherished the close-knit community where cousins felt like extensions of brothers and sisters, where you could walk into the local store and be greeted by name, and where townspeople knew who your parents were. It was a wonderful way to grow up.