The Words of the Reinig Family |
It was a glaringly bright morning at East Garden on June 4, the day Father came back from Korea. Every blade of grass was glistening and standing tall, perfectly cut and waiting to greet Father. I was sitting on the lawn. Will Father feel happy to be back? I wondered. Will he feel we had done enough while he was gone? We heard Father would arrive soon from the airport so I got up and stood by the driveway with the other members and leaders. There weren't many of us, and we were all pretty quiet.
Suddenly a voice said, "There he is!" A car pulled in the driveway and everybody bowed. Father got out of the car first. When his broad, beautiful face turned to us and he gave us a huge, beaming smile and a wave, it was as if a bright light had suddenly been turned on in a dim room. It moved me to see that he greeted us so radiantly even before acknowledging his own family. Almost before he had turned back around, Hyun Jin Nim was kissing him. I realized with a pang that his son must have missed him terribly. Yet how difficult it is to show affection when you are in full view of everybody! Though Father embraced him a mere split second, I felt an electric pulse move between them. Mother came out of the car behind Father, looking very fresh and elegant, and Hyun Jin Nim and Jeung Jin Nim presented them both with big bouquets.
I was pushed inside to the living room on a wave of people, just in time to see that True Parents had taken their traditional seats and the True Children were lined up before them. They made a full bow and then ran up and kissed and embraced their parents in greeting. When all the members had filed in, Dr. Pak directed us all to bow twice before True Parents ourselves.
The two youngest daughters climbed onto their parents' laps, but they squirmed and it was hard for them to smile. How could they, with everybody staring at them! The older True Children sat very straight and attentive on a couch at their parents' side. Father spoke to his children a few soft words. It was touching to see such loyalty and purity in their attendance. The whole family maintained a public dignity as befitting a royal reception, yet I saw deep rivers of love flowing from the eyes of each one as they sat there together.
A homecoming cake was brought out and cut. Father looked at us, but mostly his eyes swept over his children. I couldn't decipher any particular expression on his face. The room was very quiet. For the past six months Father had been to realms that far transcended our small concerns. He appeared to have much more on his mind than just greeting us. I had a feeling that East Garden was becoming almost too small to be Father's home anymore.
We members just stood there, looking at this beautiful family -- silently, expectantly. Everybody there wanted to receive something from True Parents at that moment -- some words, some inspiration, some love. At the same time I knew we all wanted to give something to them too, not just drink in great gulps of their radiance.
Father spoke a few words to Rev. Kwak, and he and Mother quietly rose and went up the stairs to their bedroom, followed by their children. Our "welcome home" was very short, but whenever Father arrives anywhere it is a providential moment, and it was a great treasure to catch a glimpse of the True Family as they joined each other again.