Nate Berkus On ?Super Soul Sunday' Tells Oprah He Was ?Home' To Fernando Bengoechea (VIDEO)

Our love for Nate Berkus grows every time we hear him speak.

On part two of Super Soul Sunday: Things That Matter, Berkus opened up to Oprah Winfrey about the devastation he witnessed and what he personally lost during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Sri Lanka.

Berkus was solemn as he spoke out about the loss of his long-time partner, photographer Fernando Bengoechea, who went missing and was never seen again. "The witnessing [of his passing] was a gift," Berkus said. "?it made me a better person, it made me a more compassionate person."

And while the hurt is still clearly evident on his face and in the tone of voice when talking about Bengoechea, Berkus did reveal the profound way he came to accept this loss, and it was with the help of Winfrey herself.

Three days after he returned home from trying to find his partner, Winfrey went to visit him. Berkus reminded Winfrey of her response when he asked her why did this tragedy happen. "You said to me, 'when the soul gets what it came to get, it goes.'"

And to Berkus, that made sense as he revealed he felt that Bengoechea was taken from him once his partner had finally found the "home" he was searching for his entire life -- and that was with Berkus.

"Here was a person who had left Argentina to live in Brazil, who had traveled around the globe, who truly had never had established his own family and life on his own terms," Berkus said. "And all of a sudden, I was 'home' to him, I represented 'home' metaphysically, physically, everything. And he had gotten what he came to get by being with me."

In the powerful interview Berkus also spoke about how he doesn't believe in shrines in the home but rather fills it with things from those who past that give him joy. "I think the distinction is, when you leave a space untouched in honor of somebody, who is no longer here to enjoy it, you're not honoring yourself and you're not moving forward."

Berkus ended the show speaking about his sacred space, which surprising is the sea -- even though it was the cause of a lot of this pain.

Click through our slideshow to see some of Nate?s treasures, and watch the clip above to see him talk about his favorite spot.

• The Things That Matter

  ?The Things That Matter? is my visual manifesto for living with what you love and what tells your story in your home. I look forward to sharing more about the book, and why things matter in our homes in my next post.

• Pieces From My Travels

  I absolutely love to travel. For me, if I stop traveling, it?s hard to stay in a creative space. Every time I come back from a trip?be it Italy, Mexico or South East Asia?my suitcase is always jammed packed with pieces I had to bring back.

• Lacquer Tortoise Shell

  There it is - my lacquer tortoise shell inspired by a real one that I grew up with. I think tortoise shells may be the next big thing. Nate Berkus Lacquer Tortoise Wall Accessory ($39.99)

• Snakeskin And Washed Oak Box

  I love to collect things, and I have a wonderful collection of boxes in all shapes and sizes. Studs, rivets, embellishments?the details are what make something special. Nate Berkus Snakeskin and Washed Oak Box ($24.99)

• The Things That Matter To Me

  I have a giant one of these in my living room. I was determined to bring it home with me from Mexico. When it arrived the leaves were all chipped...it is ceramic after all, but I love it that way. It reminds me of being with Fernando and our trip to Mexico, and the story of getting it home.

• See You Next Time

  Make sure to check back for my next post and keep up with me @Nate_Berkus and #NateAtTarget

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/17/nate-berkus-fernando-bengoechea_n_2706896.html

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