“The real homecoming begins

the moment we let love reach

the part of us we’ve kept hidden,

even from ourselves.”

Glenn S. Cohen

#CenterForNI

It’s so interesting that memories of milestone moments come back to use in the most unusual of times. Two months ago, I was doing my morning workout and had just begun the treadmill part of my routine when all of a sudden this memory came into my awareness. After I finished my workout, I began to write the first draft for the following blog.

That memory took me back to the summer of 2024. I was deep in my latest healing journey when I watched a movie on Netflix called Forever My Girl. It’s a tender love story about Liam, a young man whose heart was shattered by the death of his mom, the one person who truly saw him and nurtured his musical gift. She was his soul glue.

Fast forward: Liam becomes a famous country singer and leaves his high school sweetheart, Josie, at the altar. Why? Well, that’s another story. What matters is this, his unresolved pain shaped his path. And like many of us, it took a breakdown for his breakthrough to begin.

When a close childhood friend dies in a tragic accident, Liam returns to his hometown for the funeral. Of course, he sees Josie again. After a few raw and very real twists, there’s a scene near the end of the movie that pierced the protective veil around my heart.

Liam has an epiphany and rushes back to his hometown, obviously a changed man. The next morning as they stand facing each other, Josie slowly walks up to Liam, gently places her hands on both sides of his face, looks deeply into his eyes, and says softly with a smile: “Welcome home, baby. Welcome home.”

Now, I had seen this movie twice before, but this time I saw the movie through very different eyes and then, something cracked open in me. I felt it in my heart and a few tears rolled down my cheeks. It wasn’t just a movie anymore; it was a mirror.

That scene touched the exact place in me I’ve been working so fiercely to reach, ever since that painful experience in June of 2023. That was the night that changed the trajectory of my life. That was the moment when I got so intensely triggered that I shut down completely. I mean iron curtain shut down. I couldn’t speak. My brain fogged over, and I just… disappeared.

Since then, I’ve been on an intense, focused mission to do whatever I had to do, to heal the aspects of me that wasn’t able to show up for the one I love most. My forever girl. The one I couldn’t stay present with, because I hadn’t yet come home to myself.

Watching that scene again reminded me why I chose this spiritual path. It reminded me that this inner world work matters. That love, giving, presence, and vulnerability are the way through.

I’m not the same man I was back then. And today, I am deeply grateful to have my forever girl look into my eyes, place her hands on my face, and say, “Welcome Home.” It’s been a long and winding road for us and I wouldn’t change a thing. So much soulful healing and growth.

And all it took was for the woman I love to break my heart… so I could finally heal my heart and soulfully and unconditionally give my healed heart back to her, where it belongs.

Thank you, Jewels, for believing in me, in us and having the courage to open the door!

Life is wild and wise when we see it through the lens of energy and purpose. Even after 20+ years of deep work, it was this moment, unguarded, raw and real that became an instrumental step of my life journey.

Relationships are mirrors. Over time, they reflect our unresolved pain, protective patterns and if we’re willing, they lead us back to our soulful truth. Our triggers aren’t roadblocks, they’re portals. They show us what needs light, so we can heal, grow, and choose love over fear.

That… is the real homecoming.

Healing is like thawing ice around a buried spring, when the warmth of love finally touches it, what was frozen begins to flow. So, what moment cracked your heart open and reminded you that you were finally coming home to yourself?

If this speaks to you, send me a DM. I’d love to connect. You can also reach out through the “Request Initial Interview” page on my website, subscribe to my Substack, or follow my Apple or Spotify podcast.

Sending big hugs and lots of love,

Glenn 🙏🌻

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