Home. . .April Moon Day 3

I'm playing along with Kat over at I Saw You Dancing 

and her April Moon reflective writing challenge.

I can't promise I will write everyday 

but I do promise to post at the very least a photo, 

 art, or some thing each day during the next 2 weeks.

Today's one word prompt is HOME.

The word home transforms me back

to where I grew up

and a part of me becomes 8 again.

A small town in the Midwest.

A home of values,

community service, 

love,

hard work,

church on Sundays,

family card playing on Saturday night,

dinner at the kitchen table together,

bicycle riding around town,

the footbridge,

beautiful front yard gardens,

next to an old pick-up truck,

my Mom creating art,

my Dad's hands fixing everything,

my little brother tagging along,

laughter,

straight talk,

and a community that is a one big family.

Love begins at home, 

and it is not how much we do...

but how much love we put in that action.

- Mother Teresa

Photo-Heart Connection

I am connected to this bridge, forever in my heart...

I visited my home town this past month and spent time with my parents, brother, niece, many of my extended family and then my not-related family. Yes, those that are close enough to know us but not related by blood. I, honestly, have many people like this in my life. I cherish all of them.

Growing up in a small town of 5,000 people means that often everyone knows what everyone else is doing. This is true especially when your parents are involved in the community and when you live a block away from the town center like I did.

I look back whenever I visit home and sometimes still pinch myself because I now live in NYC where I am pretty much anonymous. Oh, don't get me wrong I have great friends and the people who work on my block wave and say hello, the regular places that I shop they say hello, my coworkers are great, etc. but it isn't anything like back home.

While I was home I took a little me time and visited my all time favorite place - The Footbridge. The footbridge is a bridge that spans a creek (it used to be a river prior to upstream damming) and is as long as a football field, at least.

This bridge is forever a part of me - it is where I would escape to when I was growing up. There is a peace at the bridge; nature surrounds you, it is beautiful, and it still embraces me.

I chose to take my shoes off and walk the bridge back-and-forth from one to end and back again. I then chose to take a ton of self portraits on the bridge. Me jumping, me sitting, me walking, - me just being at one of my favorite places.

This particular picture just sings to my heart and soul.

Do you have a favorite place?

I am linking up with Kat at Kat Eye Studio and her Photo Heart Connection today. Each month she asks us to review the photos that we have taken during the past month and select the photo that speaks to our heart. Please visit her blog and stalk the other participants posts - the photos are amazing and the stories that have been written about them are touching.