Carrie Link

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN

Once upon a time there was a grown woman that lived in a glass house. She loved her glass house, all the windows, all the light, all the love. She grew up in a house that was not made of glass, it was made of concrete blocks. It was dark, and scary, and sad.

Years passed and the girl grew up and moved away. She did not ever want to return to the dark house, but she had to. As long as her father was alive, she was obligated to visit the dark house. When her father died, she was no longer obligated, and the woman stopped visiting.

More years passed and the dark house was remodeled. The girl's brother became a Buddhist. The house became a center for Buddhist practices. Light began to enter this house that had been so dark, for so long. Windows were added, walls were subtracted. Doors were removed, Buddhist hangings were hung in their place. Air and light and love moved freely in this house.

Where once only sad people lived, now three happy people lived. The girl's brother married, they had a child, the house was no longer a house, but a family's home.

The woman was now drawn to visit this house out of love, no longer obligation. The woman was able to replace sad and dark memories with new memories of laughter and joy. The woman was able to take her children to this house so that they could have their own experiences within its walls. New experiences, pure experiences.

The woman was very happy to have lived long enough to witness the transformation of a house, and a family. A family that moved from the dark, to the light.