My grandfather on my mother’s side was a furrier in New York City. He was one of six sons who came from Russia. He and his brothers had dispersed around the globe: to Paris, Israel, Spain, Amsterdam, the United States, and Venezuela. When I was about nine or ten, my grandfather’s elder brother, Itzhak, came for a visit from Caracas. It had been twenty-five years since they had seen each other. We all met in my grandfather’s small brick home in Baldwin, New York.
I recall after dinner sitting in a corner of the small dining room. The kitchen was a buzz and other children were running around the house. My grandfather and his brother sat at the opposite ends of the table, which still had empty plates scattered about. They looked long into each other, as if remembering when they were my age. Then, they started looking for a common language to speak. My grandfather knew six languages and Itzhak knew eight. I didn’t know, at the time, exactly what they were doing until my father said, “They’re trying on the histories of the world to see where they fit.” I was puzzled and so, he said, “They’re trying to find the tongue of their hearts.”
They wanted to speak Yiddish, but Itzhak’s Yiddish was infiltrated with many Spanish words and my grandfather’s Yiddish was infiltrated with many English words. After several tries, they settled on German and they were off, reminiscing and laughing. I sat in the corner of that small dining room, wondering about the kaleidoscope of tongues that make up the world and where life leads us against our will. And how, if we listen long enough, we find a way home.
A Question to Walk With: Name and describe the common language of heart that you are a part of. When did you first encounter this?
This is from my book in progress The Language of the Soul.
Mark will be offering retreats, free events, and a few special journeys in 2024. Here’s the list of what’s coming up!
July 21, 28, & Aug 4, 2024 | Finding Inner Courage: Our Walk in the World
A 3-Session Online Webinar with Mark Nepo To register visit Live.MarkNepo.com ✅
July 31 6pm ET: FREE EVENT You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Net of Friendship, reading and conversation followed by 45 minute river walk at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Free event. Please register in advance here. ✅
Aug 16-18: You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Power of Friendship, weekend retreat, at Mercy By the Sea, 167 Neck Rd, Madison, CT. For more information or to register, click here. ✅
Sept 8 11am PT/2pm ET – FREE ONLINE EVENT You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Power of Friendship, Join Mark Nepo with Joel Fotinos in Conversation, hosted by Banyen Books & Sound. Register for this free event here. ✅
Sept 16–21: You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Power of Friendship, a Mastery Week Retreat at the Modern Elder Academy in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Click here to get information and to register. ✅
Sept 29 1pm PT/4pm ET: You Don’t Have to Do It Alone with Mark Nepo in Conversation with Brooke Warner, this online ticketed event is hosted by Book Passage. Register here for the zoom link. ✅
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