I’ve done a ton of traveling recently. This has included short trips, long tours, and a little bit of everything in between. I love the road and all the interesting people I get to meet while on it, but there truly is nothing better than coming home. There is a sense of safety and warmth that comes from walking these rooms and halls. It is something that I simply cannot find anywhere else.
No offense to my friends who are literature enthusiasts, but Thomas Wolfe was wrong when in 1940 he stated that “you can’t go home again.” At a time in my life when I am pretty much constantly on the move, it is a never-ending source of comfort to know that I always have a familiar place to which I can return. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of a distant place, I have home on my mind.
Luckily, I also have home as a very real destination. The knowledge that I can and will, at some point, return home is a fount of tranquility that settles my mind and emotions when things start to get a wee bit crazy. Whether or not I am physically present in its embrace, home is always there.
And when I do finally return home? I am surrounded by familiarity. I am welcomed by serenity. It is one of my favorite feelings, capable of making all the madness of an ever-increasingly unstable world disappear.
The feeling that accompanies being home is something that I wouldn’t trade for anything, even all the energy and excitement that come with discovering brand new places. I am capable of achieving full relaxation while at home, something that simply does not happen while traveling.
In my next post, I am going to feature several songs that sing the praises of home. In the meantime, I am curious: What does home mean to you? What emotions does it cause you to feel? Share your thoughts with us here at The Music Mom.
The Music Mom: Eileen Carey 