strangedreamermusic

[strangedreamermusic]

"Rebuilding Home"

I had thought it was going to be my fresh start, but it felt like a restart upon arrival.

It wasn't the country changing; it was just about everything that came with it. For so long, I had lived in some sort of emotional purgatory, torn between the love of my parents and the distance brought about by being sent to a boarding school. I had spent so much of my childhood trying to navigate the complexities of love from afar, and now, with my family together again in a new country, I still felt like something was missing.

When we arrived in Canada, the house we moved into was nice. It had all of those things I thought would make me feel settled, like warm rooms, fresh air, and plenty of space. It didn't feel like home. It felt cold, and unfamiliar, like a house I was just passing through. My parents were both busy with work and trying to settle their new life, while it seemed I was still getting my bearings. I had missed so much of the years that were to be spent together.

Then Rio came, to remind me, that home wasn't the house or the place, it was about the connections you make, the people you love, and the bonds that never break.

Rio would sit with me through nights when my parents were busy. His presence was quiet but constant, a reminder that I wasn't alone in this new life. Slowly, I began to let go of the walls I had built around my heart. My parents and I started spending more time together, doing simple things like taking walks, cooking meals, and just being present with each other. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

That's when I knew home wasn't something you found; it's something you built, with love and time and the people who count. With Rio at my side, I wasn't rebuilding a home; I was building a new one.

[strangedreamermusic]

Rio, My Forever Comfort

I never knew the moment I looked at Rio that he was going to be my savior.

Everything smelled different, felt different-this structure in this new place was all so overwhelming since I had just moved to Canada. Mom and Dad were relieved for the fresh start, but deep inside, there was a sense of loss: all these years at boarding school, growing up away from them, and now finally when we were together, something snapped. I just couldn't fit into this world.

That is when Rio came into my life-a small, fluffy ball of energy with eyes that seemed to understand more than words could ever tell. I was drawn to him in an instant the very first time I saw him, yet never knew he'd be the comfort I was in desperate need of.

Rio didn't ask questions, and Rio did not judge. He was, and he was there time and again to offer his unconditional love as loneliness and uncertainty weighed upon me. First of all, it was his silent presence. He would just lie beside me, his warmth serving as a simple reminder that I wasn't alone. And whenever sadness crept in, his tail would start to wag, and light would suddenly appear in those eyes-as if the heavy feeling within my heart now felt just that much lighter.

There was one night, I remember, when I felt completely lost. My parents were busy, and I had nobody to turn to. Loneliness overwhelmed me. Rio, sensing my unease, jumped onto the couch and snuggled beside me. He buried his head into my lap, and comfort just washed over me like a wave in that moment. It was as if he knew just what I needed. He didn't need to say anything; he just needed to be there.

Rio has been my constant since then-through all the changes, the tears, the moments of doubt, he's always been there. There's something in the way he looks at me, so much trust in his eyes, that settles everything into place. He has this way of calming my mind, reminding me that no matter how tough things get, I am loved.

I don't know where I'd be without him. Rio is my reminder that in an ever-changing world, there is still love, still comfort, and still a home-if you know where to look.

[strangedreamermusic]

“Home, Away, and the Space In Between"

The House That Didn't Feel Like Home.

Home is supposed to be a sanctuary, a place where you feel safe and loved. But once my brother left to study in a different country, that feeling vanished from my house.

My brother was ten years older than me, and I looked up to him. He was my protector and my role model, and knowing him being around always made me feel safe. But he did things differently when he finished school: he packed his bags and disappeared into a faraway land to complete his higher study, quite far from me and my parents. At that time, I was just a little kid who hardly understood why he had to disappear, and the silence began.

First, my parents tried to compensate. They were busy with their work, but they always tried to keep things normal. But I knew that something was different, however. I was not the apple of their eyes anymore, and though they still loved me, the growing exhaustion was palpable. Finally, they decided that it was best to send me away to boarding school. A mere third-grader, I didn't know what the term meant or what it would feel like to live away from home.

Thus, the immediate reality was boarding school, and that would be nothing like the home I had known. Kids kept aloof, and I knew I didn't fit in this place. I learned using my wits and living with my problems with no help from anyone. I missed my parents terribly, but even going home for holidays wasn't comforting at all-they were so engrossed with their lives, and sometimes I would feel like a stranger in my own house.

It had its rules at school, and the greatest lesson it taught me was to keep everything to myself. I stopped talking about my feelings and learned how to internalize everything. It inculcated into my head that problems were something you should always deal with yourself. It felt like my emotions were a burden, so I kept them hidden, locked away in a corner of my mind.

Years passed, and I learned to live with my loneliness in silence. When my parents finally decided to move to Canada after my tenth grade, I hoped everything would feel different. But nothing could fill the void created over the years. Still detached from my family, I didn't know how to draw closer to them again. The house in Canada was new, but it felt cold in ways I couldn't explain.

I thought I would get home when we moved, but it turned out I was trying to rebuild something lost long ago.