The story: Longing list

Posted by Claudia Moser on 3:00 PM in GBE2, Longing

Motto:
' ... And so much of my life has been about returning home and longing for home'
by Sela Ward

While away on my constant business trips, my longing takes many shapes and sizes:

- morning coffee standing in my kitchen
- watching the news in my favourite armchair while Peter makes his coffee
- listening to the radio on the way to work
- having lunch with my usual companions, chatting and having a lovely espresso at the end
- having a spontaneous meeting with a friend
- ironing while watching TV (strange but I like it!)
- talking with Peter, exchanging the news from the day
- cooking dinner
- reading in bed

Longing is also present in my life, since I miss my home in Romania as well

- my childhood room
- talking with mom
- watching TV with my granny and seeing how she dozes off!
- my flowers on the balcony
- seeing my friends
- my books
- just walking on the streets
- talk for hours on the phone, in Romanian :)
- watch mom while she cooks
- just absorb the atmosphere

In the end I agree with Milan Kundera who said: 'Happiness is the longing for repetition.' and oh boy! there are so many things to do when you are / feel at home!

Motto

"A story is not like a road to follow … it's more like a house. You go inside and stay there for a while, wandering back and forth and settling where you like and discovering how the room and corridors relate to each other, how the world outside is altered by being viewed from these windows. And you, the visitor, the reader, are altered as well by being in this enclosed space, whether it is ample and easy or full of crooked turns, or sparsely or opulently furnished. You can go back again and again, and the house, the story, always contains more than you saw the last time. It also has a sturdy sense of itself of being built out of its own necessity, not just to shelter or beguile you."
by Alice Munro

Sarah Tokeley says:

3:33 PM

Isn't it funny how it's always the simple things we miss?

Laura says:

4:02 PM

What a wonderful post!
It is always the things that seem "not so important" which are the ones that we long for the most.
I very much enjoyed your thoughts today!

Southhamsdarling says:

4:08 PM

Lovely post, and a lot of longing there my friend. I watch tv whilst ironing as well. It takes my mind off the boredom of the ironing!

Belle says:

5:43 PM

Oh Claudia, I feel for you being away from home and husband so often. That would bring a longing in me too.

6:00 PM

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing - I hadn't realized I think of longing that way too. I must keep that Kundera quote...!

(also - did you take that pic or find it somewhere? I love it!)

Laura Rogers says:

6:28 PM

I really enjoyed this. Great job on longing.

Amy McMunn says:

6:43 PM

I was an exchange student for a year many, many lifetimes ago--back before e-mail and the world wide web when the telephone echoed when the person on the other line tried to speak. lol. Oh, I enjoyed traveling in my younger years, but, really, I'm a homebody. I longed for the comforts of the life that created who I was. I relate to this post very much. Well written, and I like how it LOOKS also. :)

Claudia Moser says:

7:18 PM

@Karen - a simple but honest list!
@Sarah - indeed, nothing fancy for me!
@Laura - thank you!
@Diane - tonight some ironing on the to do list as well! With some nice crime stories!
@Belle - yes, it is not easy but we manage!
@Laura - the picture is from a blog, if you click on it you will end up there!
@Laura R - thank you!
@Amy - then you do understand!

Celeste Neumann says:

7:27 PM

You want to return, I yearn to go - to go to places like this:
http://www.swr.de/schaetze-der-welt/sighisoara/-/id=5355190/nid=5355190/did=5981492/3up74l/index.html

7:33 PM

@Celeste - yes, one good destination alongside with Sibiu, Brasov, Iasi, Cluj ...

Unknown says:

8:56 PM

Reading in bed is a big longing for me too!

Siren London says:

9:00 PM

Wonderful article, how true the feeling of missing home while standing in kitchen!

9:42 PM

@Awwsumkitteh - one of my favourite activities!
@Siren - thank you, as you saw cooking is part of my life :)

pbquig says:

10:59 PM

Yes, I loved that.
Pam

Rick Watson says:

5:21 AM

There is really no place like home.
I make the coffee around here. It's about the only thing Jilda trusts me to make, but I do it well, if I do have to say so:)

Jo says:

6:10 AM

Sadly warm and endearing to read. I say sad because it takes you away from your NOW to be longing to be elsewhere, yet the elsewheres you are longing for are where your love is. Therefore, warm and endearing. I wish for you, a future with more time in the love areas of your life.

Sush says:

8:25 AM

Claudia...what I love about you is YOU make everyone feel like YOU are home...a soft place to land. I hope you know how well loved you are, and I hope you find home in your heart while you are away from those you and what you love!

Hugs~

Stephtee says:

6:50 PM

Great list....it's simplest things that always seem to bring the greatest joy :)

10:32 PM

@Pam - thank you!
@Rick - I am sure you are :)
@Jo - your conclusion is amazing, you said it so well, thank you truly!
@Sush - yes, I am aware how much love I have around and I am very grateful for it! Thank you :)
@Stephtee - so true!

Kathi says:

12:13 AM

All those things make me feel good too. You love all the best things! Simple pleasures are indeed the best! Though I'm not very fond of talking on the phone, gotta do it to stay in touch with those who don't live close by. I enjoyed reading this.

Langley Cornwell says:

2:28 PM

I completely understand this, I traveled for business for 20 years, and I always longed for the routine of home. Beautiful post.

7:59 PM

@Kathi - thank you, as you said simple pleasures!
@Langley - thank you!

Anonymous says:

9:05 PM

It really is the simple pleasures that live in our hearts. Loved this!

9:07 PM

@Beth - so is life :)

Steven says:

2:07 AM

It seems we're never satisfied with what we have or where we are, there's always the longing for something or somewhere else that lingers with us.

12:11 PM

@Steven - I am not sure if I associate satisfaction with longing. In my eyes there is a normal reaction!

9:16 PM

Loved your list!! It was so true!

Kathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com/

9:52 PM

@Kathy - thank you :)

Jenn says:

11:48 AM

Wonderful longings Claudia!!

Cheers, Jenn
http://www.wine-n-chat.com/2011/09/longing.html

8:25 PM

@Jenn - one possible approach to a great theme!

LadyHAHA says:

2:32 AM

I just moved to a new state so I completely relate and understand so much of your longings. And isn't it funny that when it comes right down to it, its the little things that we miss! It just reminds you never to take anything for granted...even drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Wonderful post!

10:46 AM

@Lady Haha - yes, the little things are much more important than one thinks!