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Finding home...

4/9/2018

14 Comments

 
by Gwendolyn M Plano
​
1972 seems so long ago, several lifetimes ago. I was just twenty-something when I traveled to Japan in April of that year with my then three-year-old son and former spouse.

Jesse didn’t notice the language barrier. What baby does? He would scamper over to another child and together they’d excitedly speak toddlerese. Joy is one language that needs no translation.

But, learning Japanese did not come easily for me. I struggled to communicate and often used Jesse as my translator. I’d carry him with me into the post office or bank and have him repeat to the clerk in Japanese what I’d say to him in baby English. With a bit of imagination, the clerk and I could do our business and enjoy a few laughs.

There were many foreigners in Japan in the 1970s. Most, like me, came seeking enlightenment, that elusive state of mind where suffering does not exist. During my five years there, I sat long hours in meditation with legs crossed, hoping for freedom and longing for home.

Now forty-six years later, my legs can no longer twist the way they did when I was young. But, I often sit in silent prayer. When I think back to my years in Japan, to the places I visited, to the people I met, to the world that opened up for me, I’m reminded of Matsuo Basho’s quote, “Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.”

Somehow, over the great expanse of time, I got comfortable with home being wherever I was. It’s not a structure or a location; it is much less tangible than either of these. I’ve discovered that home is where my heart is at peace, which is to say that when I am at peace, I am also at home. Do you experience home similarly?
Picture

14 Comments
D.L. Finn
4/10/2018 01:02:27

Love the picture Gwen:) I had to laugh at your comment of bending your legs for meditation. Mine won't do that anymore either. Yes, I do agree home is and has become my place of peace and it is where I am at. I know the place can change but not the feeling

Reply
Gwen Plano
4/10/2018 03:32:37

Thank you, D.L. Your comment brought smiles over the memory of sitting cross-legged. Have a wonderful, joy-full day. ♥

Reply
John Fioravanti
4/10/2018 06:04:38

This is a lovely and thought-provoking post, Gwen. I've never thought about home as a place of peace within me - but it makes perfect sense. Our dwelling structure may be familiar and comfortable decorated with all of our collected treasures, but peace really does come from within. Thanks and big hugs!

Reply
Gwen Plano
4/10/2018 06:33:52

Thank you, John. Having moved around a lot helped me grasp the one constant. Have a wonderful day.

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Mae Clair link
4/10/2018 07:09:53

That picture is great, Gwen! :)

I tend to think of home wherever I am with my husband, although I do admit a special fondness when we return from travels to the house we've lived in for the last twenty-odd years. I also carry home in my heart wherever I go. Lovely post today!

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Gwen Plano
4/10/2018 07:26:59

Thank you, Mae. Old photos bring back lots of memories and help us see what we have learned through the years. ♥

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john howell link
4/10/2018 08:28:06

I think home is where you decide it to be. There are core values and members who make up the concept of home. The important thing is to be at peace in the place you have designated as home. Lovely piece, Gwen

Reply
Gwen Plano
4/10/2018 12:29:21

Thank you, John. I like the thought that our intentions create our home. Have a great day.

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Jill Weatherholt link
4/10/2018 15:54:15

Aw...I love the photo, Gwen. This is such a beautiful post. For me, home is when I'm with family. Thanks to John Howell for sharing this on Twitter. I've tried to subscribe via email to your blog, but I never receive your posts. :(

Reply
Gwen Plano
4/10/2018 18:05:41

Thank you, Jill. Family is everything, isn't it. As for my subscription, I don't know what is wrong. I'll see if I can find out. Big hugs. ♥

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Jan Sikes link
4/11/2018 10:47:54

I absolutely LOVE this photo, Gwen. You were so young and hopeful and seeking. I too have come to learn that home is what you make it. It is not confined to any particular structure or place. It is more of a state of mind. I too relate to the legs not bending the way they used to to sit in meditation for extended periods of time. Now, I find a comfortable chair to sit in. :) It works. Thanks for sharing this beautiful post.

Reply
Gwen Plano
4/11/2018 16:32:59

Thank you so much, Jan. Like you, I find a comfortable chair and let the peace fill me. Blessings. ♥

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Julie Watson
4/11/2018 18:05:37

Love the photo of your younger self Gwen. Loved reading your thoughts about peace and home. Beautiful!

Reply
Gwen Plano
4/12/2018 01:43:32

Thank you so much, Julie. Your kind thoughts delight my heart. I hope your day is wonderful in all ways. ♥

Reply



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Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ―Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning


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