by Jesse Hunter

Whether youre returning home after a hard days work at the office or flying halfway across the world on an intercontinental journey to visit estranged loved ones， the feeling you get when coming home is one that cannot be duplicated by any other experience. The love that is felt when in the arms of those closest to your heart is special and unique to each and every family， no matter where in the world you happen to hail from.

In the featured article Coming Home， we witness a daughters anxious anticipation as her father returns home from being a prisoner of war， only to find that her fathers return was far from a return to normalcy. In The Home-Coming we see the immense power of a mothers love by how painful， and perhaps fatal， the absence of said love can be. And in Buckhannon， West Virginia： The Perfect Birthplace， the town of Buckhannon plays the leading role， as an age old friend with its own distinct habits and traditions， having etched memories in the hearts of all its past inhabitants.

The number one song in America a few years ago was Home by American Idol winner Phillip Phillips， and both my wife and I use it as our cell phone ring tones （which has created quite a few funny and confusing moments between us）. She and I will soon travel to the Untied States， where she will meet my family for the first time as we all spend Thanksgiving/ Chanukah together. We both cried when her visitor visa was approved， and it wasnt just because of all the delicious pies my mom is gonna make for us. Its because it finally feels like our two homes are coming together to form one loving family.

无论你是经历了一天辛苦的办公室工作回到家中，还是飞越半个地球，跨州越岭地回到久别的至亲至爱身旁，那种归家的感觉是其他任何经历都无法比拟的。与至亲相拥时所感受到的爱，对于每个人和每个家庭来说都是独特的，无论你从这世界的哪个角落风尘仆仆地归来。

在主题文章《返乡》一文中，我们目睹了一个女儿的焦心期待，当时，她沦为战俘的父亲就要归家了，然而，结果却发现她父亲的回归远远未能使一切恢复常态。在《回家》一文中，缺乏言表的爱是那么的痛苦，甚至致命，由此我们能够看到母爱的伟大力量。在《完美故乡巴克汉诺》一文中，巴克汉诺镇扮演着重要角色，就像是一位有着自己独特习惯及传统的老朋友一样，在其所有过往的居民心中铭刻下了回忆。

几年前，美国最火的歌曲就是《美国偶像》冠军菲利普·菲利普斯的那首《家》，我和妻子都将其设为手机铃声了（这令我们不时混淆也逗趣非常）。她和我将很快前往美国，在那里她将会第一次见到我的家人，因为我们会一起共度感恩节和光明节。当她的旅行签证获批时，我俩双双落泪，这并不仅仅是因为我母亲将会为我们做上所有可口美味的馅饼。而是因为我们两个家庭终于要聚在一起，组成一个有爱的大家庭了。

by Carolyn Kleiner Butler

不久前我听到一首歌——《A House Is Not A Home》，当Brook Benton清晰地唱到“A chair is not a house， a house is not a home…”时，我不禁感叹起这个不起眼的字眼所饱含的深义，它不起眼到我们从未意识到它的存在，且时常被我们抛到九霄云外，而它却又一直深深地住在我们心底。这字眼终究是一个人一生无法消除的烙印，它是一场记忆、一种气味，更是当你身处异乡时，不时便会蒙上双眼的一层薄雾……

我家里有那个容易融入电视剧剧情并把我喻作各种白眼狼的母亲，有那个喜欢垂钓时把鱼钩故意甩到我帽子上的父亲，还有那个问完我何时归家却又转眼问我是谁的外婆，码字码到这里，才发现我不能想起家，因为我已经恨不得自己变成一束光，哪怕千里之遥都要转瞬即至。其实，那些逗闹在我眼里，满满的，都洋溢着幸福。有句俗语说：“家家有本难念的经。”虽说家人的不尽完美会让我们头痛，虽说来到了所谓的外面的世界让我们忘乎所以，但家里曾用过的旧号码还是神不知鬼不觉地成为了我们的各种密码，我们也还是住在那个心底的旧地址里，重复着相同的摆设、类似的风格。

雨果曾在《家》中写道：“发现所有地方都像自己的家乡一样好的人，已经长大；只有当认识到整个世界都不属于自己时，一个人才最终走向成熟。”不管我们何时才会结束漂泊，我们的心都可以飞回自己的家中小憩一下。现在，先来体会一下主题中三段感人的故事吧！——MS