29 Comments

What a beautiful expression of deep love. And the photos you shared of you and Ann from your wedding are perfect… showing in your eyes the deep love and cherishing you have for each other. Home is indeed where our love(s) are.

I resonate with moving frequently as a child. Our family once moved 5 times in three years, finally settling in a town outside Boston. It’s odd, but despite living there from 11-18, I still don’t consider it “home”. Home remains in Upstate New York, where my body exhales, and also here where I’ve carved a small niche by a reservoir,(my daughter, son in law and my cat are here).

Love the music you shared, Josh Ritter, especially when it breaks into the lyric section, the rhythm is perfect travel in’ music!

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Aww thanks Teyani. I’m so grateful you resonated with all of it. Were you familiar with Josh Ritter?

The pictures from our wedding show well don’t they? Amazing woman and I love her so —such a blessing we found one another 🙏❤️

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I’d never heard of him before! So thanks for sharing.

It’s perfect that you two have found each other.💞

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I love this series you all are writing. I enjoyed your previous essay about moving around and still get kind of a pang for that little boy who had to move so much! And the topic of home is one I think about so much. But the bottom line is, as it is for you - home is where my love is - and the dog of course!

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Thanks Susie. We both have strong loving homes in beautiful places—so we got that going for us too 🙏❤️

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Thanks for reading!

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"the freedom to wander once again" -- but close to, or as part of home. Part of what comes through from your piece is that home doesn't have to be just one place, and doesn't have to mean staying put 👍🏻

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Always love reading your thoughts Dee. So appreciate this series on home from you guys. As someone who has moved every two or three years the idea of home has been different for me than for some of my family who have been in one place for decades. Hope that you and the missus and the pups have a blessed autumn.

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Thank you sir 🫡

I can only imagine what you might have to say on the topic with your experience 🙏

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Terrific journey and a perfect ending Dee. I know it’s cliche but I immediately thought, “Home is where the heart is.” Whoever said that, they didn’t say “house is where the heart is”. We feel like we are at home, gone home, returned home, when our heart is at peace.

And the aspect about home teams is brilliant. I’m an Orioles and Dolphins fan because they were my first childhood team names, an emotional part of my childhood, and who my “heart” would root for. So I suppose those home teams are where my heart is too.

Thanks for making my early morning with a delightful read.

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James—you’re the only one so far to resonate with the home team element. I love it!

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Such a tender, captivating share, Dee. The feeling and memory of home holds so much, and you convey that beautifully.

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Thank you so much Dana. I was deep in the feels when I wrote it 🙏❤️

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This was good. You stated -

“No. I’m missing the feeling of being home with my love. Where she is and where they (the dogs) are is my home”

That’s the real definition of “home”. Not necessarily where you are but who you’re with. Who you’re comfortable and at peace with. Like they say about churches, it’s not the building but what is in it.

Unfortunately when you’re younger and still learning, that concept is lost and not appreciated until you do age a little bit.

I grew up in the city limits of Chicago. So the home teams will always be the Cubs, Blackhawks, Bulls, Bears and to an extent White Sox. It seems the sport end of it has gone the way the city has. All of it bastardized and full of agendas. I could never refer to that area as home ever again. It’s far from that calm and comfort place I remember.

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Thanks for sharing Ken. There’s a lot to miss from our idyllic youth.

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It’s probable that the feeling of carrying home with us is what we journey towards. Wonderful essay, Dee!

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Thank you so much Priya. 🙏

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What I takeaway is what we’ve often discussed…home isn’t a place, so much as a space you share with those you love. And that makes it Home. Our lives are enriched by relationships and community…and that can be anywhere. Well said my friend!!

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Thank you for reading Claire. We have what makes a home right here, don’t we? ❤️

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Great stuff. I relate. More than you know.

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Thanks pal. I kinda figured. ☺️

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So much good stuff here, Dee. Most of the writers in this series are fortunate to consider place within the context of a happy relationship -- that certainly does change things. Love the music, too. There are two albums that conjure home for me: Emmylou Harris's "Wrecking Ball" and Daniel Lanois's "Acadie." No shocker that Lanois also produced that album for Harris. The very pitch and depth of the North in that music.

I'm going to digress with you a bit on sports fandom. I did both of my graduate degrees in Nebraska and have ancestral connections there by way of the Great Migration. So my fandom is not a total shocker. But I think you are right that belonging to a place or a community makes that kind of fandom much deeper than the typical sports chitchat. You really do feel like a part of you is lifted up when the team does well, because you know it's uplifting for a community that you care about. It's not really a digression when we talk about home, is it?

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mebbe your best ‘Post .. & it’s about the ‘in betweens & the real Now - the real stuff of life - the current human condition yer condition is actually in - that seemed - ‘missing in action - in a very recent Note of yours.. if you catch my ‘drift 🦎🏴‍☠️- great photos too ! Bonus !

Am still holdin onto my ‘tall Texas Tale & the Mercury stepside pickup with Honda ‘enduro & 4x6 ramp aboard - a cassette stereo player that slayed - with my copious live VJ & DJ mixes from Banff - CB handle was ‘lever action - twin whip aerials - roof mounted & ‘travelin down Texas way .. Austin, Corpus & free range rattlesnake country in between.. eh ! 🦎🏴‍☠️🌵

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Thanks Thomas I appreciate you sayin. Your perception and perspective once again prove worthy 💪🏻👏👍

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our joint ‘reflections & riposte .. are best regarded as haha .. ‘collegial .. albeit ‘polar opposites here n there eh ? I certainly recognize ‘greatness - even Senior ‘leadership in you.. among others..

That gushing ‘props to you - aside - It’s also my great hope - you’ll not take it unkindly I deliver tales of ‘terrible things that canine DAWGS have Done Unto ME & my “Earthly Possessions .. 🦎🏴‍☠️

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Always appreciated. No unkindness taken. 🫡

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oh sure .. what if it was your fave cowboy boots ? AND .. the thumb of YOUR baseball glove ?

what’s yer ‘murderous reaction then ?

Aside from Acceptance .. & “laughing hysterically ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

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BTW Lucchese boots all day long. ☺️

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how ya feel about ‘one big toe wavin free ? EH !

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