We all have special places in our lives. Places where we love to go or want to be. Memories of good times, some old and some new. Things that stand out in our minds. Some of these places are real and others are imagined. Some of them were things that we possessed and some that belonged to others. For most of us, we could name many of these special places. But do you have one that you identify as The Special Place?

The Special Place is one that is constantly in your mind. Nothing that interferes with your daily life or replaces other special places but instead one that stands out. The Special Place may be one that you have visited often, rarely, or not at all. It may be possessed or forbidden. It might be a home, a building, a location, or even an imaginary location. You may have only seen it in passing but The Special Place is always there in some form.

The Special Place is sometimes very specific, like a house at a certain address, or it may be more general, sitting in the mist at the bottom of a waterfall or on the top of a mountain. Sometimes it is a place where you can relax or think about the meaning of life. Other times it is a place of wonder. And at other times the wonder is why you consider it to be The Special Place in your life. While a place may be The Special Place for more than one individual, the things that make it special for them are probably different.

In the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” there is a bit character. I don’t believe the character was ever identified and may not have even been given credit. The character was an older gentleman who was shown several times walking down a road in front of Diane Lane’s home. Each time he appeared; he stopped at the same location along the road and approached a stone wall where he paused for a few minutes. Why he paused was never told. Perhaps, there was a Madonna in a niche in the wall and he was visiting her. Perhaps there was something else there. It was never visible to the viewer. Was it something sad, or something celebrated? Diane’s character watched him and tried to connect to him, this did not occur until near the end of the movie. Was this simple location The Special Place for him?

For some, The Special Place may be a place they visit often while for others it may be a place that they have only glimpsed in passing. This does not make it less special. Perhaps, we will one day visit The Special Place or it may always be there, just out of reach. Sometimes, The Special Place disappears, at least physically, yet it remains in our minds. Other times, The Special Place does not exist other than in our minds, or maybe it exists, and we have yet to find it. In either case, it is still special to us.

Does The Special Place exist for all? Maybe or maybe not. Is it something we share or is it very private? Again, is this important, and does it change how special it is? Does The Special Place exist for you?