Someone worth Missing -Kathryn Krchniak

Tuesday night was our final night with our host families. Tiffany had a meal in mind to make for our family, and she was able to come up with some simple tasks to make it look like I was helping, even though I’m the farthest thing from a cook!

Around 10:15 p.m., we finally sat down to eat dinner, and it was a sight to behold. There were nine of us squished around the table, with Portuguese, English, and dishes being passed between us. The food was delicious, and the company was even better.

There was nothing sadder than finishing my bowl and realizing that it truly was our last family meal. Everyone looked at each other, and without saying a word we knew we were all thinking the same thing. We exchanged gifts that night, but the true gift was the invitation into their lives. Nothing could ever compare to the new family I now have in Brazil, and no words could ever describe how grateful I am for them.

As everyone got ready to head home, I mentally prepared myself for some of the final goodbyes. Each hug, kiss, and see you later got increasingly harder. This farewell would be much longer than the one with my family two weeks ago, and who knows how long this farewell will last until I can see my Brazilian family again.

As I hugged my host siblings and said one last goodbye before we left for the airport, one of my favorite One Tree Hill quotes came to mind:

“It’s hard when you miss people, but you know if you miss them, that means you’re lucky. It means you had someone special in your life; someone worth missing.”