After Lucille Clifton’s “blessing the boats” May this house become a home. May you bring us happiness and comfort. May your foundation last well after the are no more little feet running through the passages. May your windows stay clear and your insulation intact. May you keep us warm and full of life. May your …
Category: Finding My Way Home
I Have a Magic Place
I have not visited many places. There have been few, but I have felt the force of the earth. I have swum in the water, in the river, in the sea, and in the lake, and I love it. I have been happy; I have been pleased. I have felt delighted by the animal world. …
Nowehere is Happy Like Home
What makes me happy is being at home. They always say nowhere is nice like home. It is not a good feeling when you are coming home from work and see the homeless people in the street. Do you think they are happy? No, they are not. They do not have a home. When I …
Home Sweet Home
Hello, my dear home, do you know how much I miss you? I feel like you miss me too. How are you doing? I know no one is taking care of you anymore. Maybe the balcony is full of dust. Maybe there are spiders on the walls. I can’t forget you. I can’t forget our …
Welcome to My House
Welcome to my house, where we welcome you with a cup of water even though you have no thirst Where people, whether they know you or not, will welcome you with the Ewé word wézon Welcome to the place where corn is used to make many delicious foods such as akumé, akpaa, and my favorite …
How My Parents Sold Me
“Buy nice and cheap! Peppers! Peppers! Peppers! Fresh, nice, and cheap! Tangerines!” That’s how I would sing as I was selling fruit from the stand of my father’s shop. I was twelve and had just finished elementary school. My parents didn’t let me go to high school because they wanted me to help them with …
The Pond in the Distance
I grew up in a village in China. I spent a lush childhood there and left when I was thirteen years old. It wasn’t until ten years later that I came back to the land for the wedding of one of my best friends from childhood. Huge changes had happened in the past decade: Paths …
Welcome Home: A Tale of Arrival and Belonging
For many people, “home” is an important aspect of life. It’s the place where you can truly be yourself, where you find love, peace, and safety. Home isn’t just about the physical place and structure, it’s about the people who surround you, offering comfort, security, and togetherness. It’s where we create cherished memories, share moments …
I Will Never Stop Listening to the Song
I will never stop listening to the song, my dad’s favorite song that he played every time he came home from work. The song that reminds me of my brother and me waiting for my dad to come home. I will never stop listening to the song that reminds me of the delicious pastilla that …
Missing Myself
I Having to stay away from home—how do you think it sounds? Saying it is one thing, but living it is another. Some say it’s not bad, and some say it’s hectic. Miss my amma and nana, miss them when things are good, or when they go really bad, miss them when I’m happy, or …