"Life's a voyage that's homeward bound" - Herman Melville
focus quote - as with all focus quotes, feel free to read the above quote and let it speak what it will to you. Read no further if the quote alone fills you up and stimulates thought. If you want more food for journaling, pondering, or conversation with me or others, read on. Most of all, enjoy!
Melville may be onto something when he reminds us that each moment in life is one that brings us closer to home. As we move through life we are aging, we are inevitably drawing nearer to the end of our life here on earth, nearer to death. But, there also seems to be a comfort in the realization that I am closer, daily, to going home. Depending on your faith you may have a different vantage point than I, but many spiritual perspectives hold the hope of heaven, an afterlife, or something yet to come. Regardless of your religious values, there is something in all of us that longs for home, an eternal home, not merely the one where we hang our hat, find our family, or remember from childhood photographs. I can only speak for myself, but part of me has always known I'm not fully home here, in this flesh, on this earth. Something always feels just slightly out of place or not quite satisfied. That is no insult to my amazing family, friends that are a great source of joy and encouragement, and work and hobbies that I love immensely. In this case, for me, it is not the sign of something gone awry, a hurt I am harboring, or an area that needs growth. It is simply the longing for home that God has woven into my being so that I am always leaning more toward him, toward my true home.
If you have sensed your longing for home and wondered if others feel it too, be confirmed, you are not alone. Songs have been written, close friends have confided in one another, and books have discussed the craving to be home and the long journey it can be to get there. Rest assured, you are on this journey with many others. If you so dare, speak up about your desire for home and I wouldn't be surprised if others echo your sentiments. I know I would. What a good, but sometimes stretching, want it is to be home.
