HOME

It’s the season to be thinking about home, isn’t it? “Home for the Holidays,” “Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go,”* and, of course, “Home Alone.”

But home is important all year round. Some people, like me, have a house and a nice place to live, but don’t feel like we have a home. It’s only because we’ve moved around so much for 50 years that, even though I was raised for 18 years in Moline, Illinois, the house I grew up in belongs to someone I don’t know. I only have one cousin who lives in the area. We’re all nomads in my family, it seems. If I were to pick a place to return to, a home, I honestly have no idea where I would go.

I saw a quote on Facebook, on Larry D. Sweazy’s thread, that spoke to me yesterday:  "Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace." -- Eugene O'Neill

I remarked that I thought that the human condition is that we’re all trying to get back home. Larry posted another quote: "We're all just walking each other home." -- Ram Dass

Under ideal circumstances, I think we ARE helping each other home. I won’t mention recent horrific events that show up the lack of humanity in my fellow Americans. I’ll just pretend that most of us are good people. No, I BELIEVE that. I think most people are trying their best to do what’s right.

I’m working on two mystery novel projects right now and I’ve noticed I’m continuing to write about family. A lot. And really, isn’t home the place where your family is?

*That song, it seems was actually written for Thanksgiving and appropriated for Christmas. They were also going to Grandfather’s house in that version. Just to be clear.

all photos from morguefile.com taken by the following:

mwalldorf

mensatic

carmawrites

BUSHKO