Nana called me a while ago

Nana called me a while ago. At the end of our conversation she said, “Darling”— she calls people ‘Darling’ like it’s their name— “we miss you so much.” She paused. “But you know what? That’s a good thing. It’d be a shame if no one missed you.” She kind of chuckled. Nana has a way about her where she makes sad things a bit happier, perhaps more charming. When I think about missing home in Tucson, I now remember Nana’s comment.

I love missing home—

not because I like being away, but because it allows me to feel happy and sad— the ultimate balance of contentment, I’d argue. I miss Arizona desperately, and especially miss the people that made it so special to me. But being away consistently reminds me why I love it and why I miss it. Being happy and sad at the same time (shout out to Kacey Musgraves) might be the most existentially fulfilling combination of emotions in the most magical and real way. The true human experience.