The concept of home can mean different things for different people. For most, it’s loaded with emotional resonance — even as it presents a unique paradox. Leaving home is an experience loaded with excitement, adventure, and a sense of independence. But coming back often induces feelings of belonging, comfort, and familiarity. Author Wendy Wunder’s work beautifully navigates the various personal journeys that lead back to a place of grounding. This quote from her 2011 book “The Probability of Miracles” illustrates the significance of home not just as a physical space, but also as an enduring source of emotional connection and stability. 

American author Richard Bach is best known for his 1970 novella “Jonathan Livingston Seagull,” the story of a seagull who loves flight and yearns to find a greater purpose than just survival. But these words spring from a different work: his 1977 novel “Illusions,” in which two stunt pilots become friends. One of them carries a notebook full of pithy philosophical sayings he calls the “Messiah’s Handbook.” When the book comes into the protagonist’s hands, he finds this reflection on the meaning of family in its pages, which in turn encourages us to ponder how we define our own families. “Family” is a flexible term, and we can choose to prioritize people in our lives based on the mutual care and appreciation they offer rather than on whether or not we share the same DNA.

Cher first found fame as one half of the musical duo Sonny & Cher, with her then-husband, Sonny Bono. When the two divorced a decade later, the singer and actress struck out on her own. Despite difficult years and a second divorce, she built herself into a solo music sensation and Oscar-winning actress. Cher found a loving community in many parts of her life: She’s known for being a fierce mother to her two children as well as an advocate and icon for the LGBTQ+ community. Her life shows how love and care are always available to us, no matter where we are — we just have to be open to receiving it.