What if the human experience of grief, loss, and sadness is a form of spiritual homesickness?

This is the story of my longing for things to be as they should.

Photo by Rhendi Rukmana.

My first case of homesickness struck in the Missouri foothills. I was a ten-year-old at Camp Soaring Hawk and one of the few campers staying for both multi-week summer sessions. Although I had never been away from home before, things were okay while camp activities were taking place all day with new friends.

Then they left.

And I f…