Growing up in the military,
And moving every year or two,
One would think
I would be accustomed
To saying good-bye,
To giving up
Things I've grown to cherish;
But perhaps
It is precisely because
I have had to give up so much
That good-byes come so hard.
Friends have always
Passed through my life
Like breezes through
Revolving doors,
Favorite possessions
Were often culled
To lighten the weight
Of our household shipment,
And pets,
The friends I could most count on,
Would suddenly disappear
One day while I was at school,
Never to be seen again.
Is it any wonder I cling
To food,
The one constant
In a youth filled with inconstancy?
But things are different now: 
I no longer move
At the military's whim,
I've a permanent roof over my head
And roots at last,
And my relationship with food
Has grown toxic.
It's time to cultivate
Long term friendships
And settle in for the long haul
Instead of saying good-bye
Before I say hello.
It's time to let my obsession with food go
And replace it
With the serenity of belonging.
For I am no longer that child
Who must binge on chocolate
And clutch at stuff
In an effort to create stability.
I am now an adult,
A woman of grace and heart and creativity,
Who has much to share
With those who will welcome her
Home.