On this date last year, I was sitting in this very room — but the room was full of boxes.
It was one year ago exactly that Claus and I drove from Washington to return me to my rightful place: Chicago. In this post from exactly one year ago today I’m trying to express my joy. I’m not a Buddhist, but it seemed to fit.
When I realized it was my one-year anniversary, I pulled out my journal from November 2015. I’m pretty joyful in there, too. In fact, below is an excerpt from the journal entry for this day last year. It’s not good writing. It’s just good to see a human be so sure of a decision and crow about being happy even when no one is looking.
Difficult to describe the feeling I have, being home. It’s an understatement to say that and ‘difficult to describe’ and ‘an understatement’ are both lame collections of words, too; poor, so poor. Never have I felt so wrapped in warmth. It’s a true homecoming.
The view from Wabash. My own park and my statue of General Logan just there, just east; the building’s white glazed brick entrance, oh, the fluttering, glittering joy I feel, as though I could fly, leave the ground, float up to see it all even more.
Buddha was enlightened: He saw everything exactly as it was, with no illusions, only presence. This is how I felt yesterday morning and this morning, gazing uptown from 8th and Wabash, holding my black coffee. The sun. The el. That’s my corner. The Hilton. Columbia. Michigan Avenue, I’m coming, baby. I’m coming back to touch sole to pavement and we will make like we never left.
Except that I did. And I learned one new thing. Just one. One. And that is that I love you more — so much more — than I ever even realized. And I knew I loved you a lot. But now it’s marriage.
So much has happened in the past year. Quilts made, decisions made, pain and love. And the moment I came home I knew I wanted to get new carpet.
Yippee! It finally happened! These things take time!
One year later, Chicago, we’re stronger than ever. Happy Anniversary!