The Beginning

After eighteen years of living in Twin Falls, Idaho, I lost my job. Throughout the duration of this time, I certainly had my share of tribulation. This time was different. Blame the tough economic times, yet I choose to see it differently. A person can only do so much before being faced with a decision; one that is life changing.

It’s been 6 months,  since I, at forty-seven years old, moved back home with my parents.

The decision to come back home appeared at first, an easy one to make. Why not? Here was an opportunity to get back on my feet; a fresh start with all the comforts of home. Yet, I found this notion to extend beyond this reasoning.

  As children growing up with our parents, home is never-ending. Home will always be there with its memory making experiences; however, once grown and life deals you a hand full of uncertainty, as it did me, home can take on an entirely new meaning.

Losing a job is losing your dignity. A feeling of failure sets in. Fear of what the future holds is embellished within the mind. At the very least, moving back home with my parents has been a humbling experience. The idea of home as I saw it as a child, transitioned to a feeling of obligation and guilt. My identity came into question. Am I a grown woman? Am I a vulnerable child? Where is the boundary? Do I live by my parent’s expectations or live up to my own?  It became clear to me I was not here for an annual visit, but to begin a new life.

Laura Papke