I traveled back to my childhood hometown last month. My brother rolled his eyes at me every time I pointed out things that were still the same. “Yeah, nothing ever changes around here,” he said. Visiting home was like entering a time warp; time seemed to have been suspended. Some people might think that’s strange, considering how much changes on a daily basis in our fast-paced world. And some people might even be disappointed by the lack of change. I, however, find comfort in the fact that things haven’t changed much at all in the 25 years I’ve been gone. The library, grocery and hardware stores, park, church, and bagel shop, streets, landscapes, homes, and apple orchard…all still the same.

I consider my childhood home to be a large part of my foundation. So if it were to describe me, what would it say? That I’m steadfast and reliable? Old-fashioned? Maybe I’m just stubborn. Either way, in a world that oftentimes feels unpredictable and restless, surrounding myself with the familiar can be a remedy.