It has been said that in no language are the overtones of the word “home” quite what they are in English. Certainly, in America, the word has a special aura about it. “Home for Thanksgiving,” “home before dark,” “homey”: all of them imply love and welcome. When Robert Frost wrote, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, / They have to take you in,” he spoke for many millions of us. The very claim on “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is a claim on being at home in the world.
But here’s the rub: claims can be contested. Houses divide. Homes fall into conflict. Whether through poverty or war, through disaster or divorce, homes, we all know, are terribly fragile and often in upheaval.
Read Full Article »