Poem by: Julia Garcia

Apprehension, Anxiety, Worry, Fear bombard you like freezing rain.

They soak you to your core, penetrating layer after layer as they chill you to your bones.

They surround you from all sides and escape seems impossible.

Until.

You stand at the edge of a cliff, a precipice, a crossroads.

A doorway.

There is no lock. There is no key. All may enter if they desire. And so, you open the door.

A thin beam of light grows wider and longer, spreading across the hardwood floor and climbing up the walls like paint on a canvas, coating every surface in color.

The reds of Joy and the blues of Tranquility.

The greens of Strength and the purples of Wisdom.

Like dust reflecting a ray of sunlight, Hope and Optimism float in the air, illuminated by Possibility and New Beginnings.

You set down your bags, removing the weight of the world from your shoulders, and are suddenly embraced.

Comfort, Peace, Love, Security.

They wrap themselves around you, enveloping you in their warmth.

They are the permanent Guardians of the Hearth, waiting patiently for your return, no matter the length of your absence.

Whether minutes or days, months or a lifetime.

They are always there.

For you, for anyone, for everyone.

They are found not in every place, but in any place that calls itself,

Home.

No matter the intensity of the storm, the darkness of the sky, the bitterness of the cold, the endless parade of challenges you face, one thing is always certain:

Home will be waiting for you with open arms, wherever you may be.