Love and laughter
A March 2008 photo of Maxwell, a sweet friend who died unexpectedly this year.
“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.”
― John Grogan
One year ago today we celebrated the 16th birthday of our Schipperke, Pasha. Though we hoped it would not be his last, we knew it might be. We did not know he would leave us only two months later after a mercifully quick decline. We also had no way of knowing how many of our friends and loved ones would be sharing our grief through the loss of their own dogs during the twelve months to come.
Marlee, Salty, Austin, Maxwell, Molly, and probably others I am forgetting to name — each leave their unique paw prints on the lives and hearts of their families and friends.
As Grogan attests, our dogs bring us closer to other people. We have experienced bittersweet memories of Pasha over the past year as each milestone passes for the first time without him. Our animal-loving friends understand, and knowing that they do, we feel a bond with them that goes beyond the words of consolation we speak to each other.
Such short lives, for them, and for us too. Let’s honor their memory by spreading love and laughter to others, as they did for us.
One year ago today:
The last best hope
The World War II Memorial, with the Lincoln Memorial in the distance, March 2005
“The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation…We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best, hope of earth.”
—Abraham Lincoln
First time visitors to Washington DC often notice that the various monuments located near the mall appear much closer to each other on the maps than they prove to be when strolling between them. It’s an activity best suited to those who are able to walk at least a few miles, and is definitely more appealing in good weather.
Despite the inconvenience of having to cross a lot of terrain to get to these memorials, there’s something fitting about the distances between them. Walking is conducive to the sober reflection that properly accompanies the history represented by such iconic sights. It’s far too easy to forget the suffering and sacrifices of people who came before us, caught up as we are in daily concerns that seem petty compared to the endurance required of past generations.
I like to read and remember history when I’m feeling sorry for myself. It gives me perspective on my individual woes, gratitude for all that I tend to take for granted, and inspiration from the perseverance and courage shown by people who have survived far more cataclysmic times. I hope you will make time to visit a nearby memorial, or read a biography or history of some pivotal moment in the past. Those who came before us were far from perfect, but there is much to honor and celebrate in their stories, which made possible our own.
One year ago today:
Our consolation
New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park, a place of refreshing solitude. May 2009
“Gladly do we quit the dust and din …to go and breathe peacefully in some far-off nook of the woods, all surprise that the brook is so limpid, the forest so still, the solitude so enchanting. Thank God there are yet these uninvaded corners…The realm of silence is vaster than the realm of noise. Herein is our consolation.”
— Charles Wagner
One year ago I quoted a different passage from this same work by Wagner, noting the irony that his words were penned over 100 years ago, before the onslaught of electronic stimulation we face today. The need for quiet places to find solace in nature seems a timeless and universal trait of humans.
Today, I hope you will grab your planner and prioritize a time this afternoon, this week or this month to step outside your routine obligations and bask in the enchanting solitude Wagner describes. It may not be urgent, but it has always been important.
One year ago today:
In the heart
Disney’s “It’s a Small World” features Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
Walt Disney World, August 2003
“Truth is not reflected in a mirror, but contained in the heart. It is often obscured by reality.” — Alan A. Malizia
One year ago today, my post mentioned Don Quixote, a literary character I’ve been hearing about all of my life. Our father is a fan of Quixote, especially as brought to life in the musical Man of La Mancha, the soundtrack of which played in the background of my childhood more times than I could count. I’m grateful for its timeless messages of courage, honor, and the refusal to give in to despair.
Recently I came across a review of the Quixote story that makes an interesting point about the difference between truth and reality. I am re-blogging it here from Alan Malizia of Contagious Optimism. I hope you will enjoy it, and remember its message the next time reality seems grim!
CONTAGIOUS OPTIMISM:Uplifting stories from around the globe.
Of Truth And Reality
March 16, 2014
Alonso Quixana (Don Quixote) is an aging gentleman who is enamored by and devours books about chivalry. He becomes so absorbed with the subject that he soon escapes reality as he fancies himself a knight, and travels about the countryside performing acts of imagined valor and good deeds. His world, as that of Cervantes, was anything but virtuous or chivalrous.
Quixana recruits a good-natured and keen-witted farmer, Sancho Panza, to be his squire (actually more of a protector), and onward they go. Windmills are seen as menacing giants to be vanquished, and ladies of the evening are seen as simply ladies, as beheld through the refined eyes of the brave and good knight. One woman in particular, Aldonza, he chastely adores. He chooses to call her by another name, Dulcinea, and envisions her his lady.
Of course the upright world, which he battles to uphold through his quests was at that time downright debased and debauched. However, Don Quixote saw it as it otherwise should be.Don Quixote’s virtuous behavior and insistence of compliance to the same, by those (often the dregs of society) whom he came upon, was first viewed as humorous and entertaining. But in time would become intrusive and threatening to their customary practices.
Yet his example, though a worldly contradiction to all, other than himself, began to have a converting effect. The prostitute Dulcinea began to see herself as a lady and act as such. And Sancho, who played along most unwillingly at first, became a dedicated and loyal companion with each new imaginary adventure.
Meanwhile, Alonso Quixana’s niece, being so embarrassed by his antics, feigns concern for his sanity and safety, and contrives a plan with the family doctor, Dr. Carrasco, to hopefully return him to his senses. Alonso (Don Quixote) is confronted by Dr. Carrasco, disguised as the Knight Of The Mirrors, and accompanied by compatriots dressed in armor and carrying reflecting shields. Dr. Carrasco challenges Don Quixote’s claim that his love, Dolcinea, is a lady. The doctor characterizes her as no more than an alley cat.
Don Quixote, angered beyond reason at this insult to his lady, takes up Carrasco’s gauntlet and is surrounded by those with mirrored shields. He is forced to see his image at every turn, which appears that of a madman. Reality strikes an overwhelming blow as the doctor’s disparaging and humiliating rants cut deep. Don Quixote falls to the ground after seeing the foolish dreamer that he is perceived to be. The plan succeeds because he returns to reality. For better or worse?
The mirror is where truth and reality come face-to-face. However, what you see is not necessarily what you get. If reality yields to truth, then there is order. Reality is subject to the variables of time and circumstance. Truth is not. If a couple is thinking about buying a house, but one says to the other, “In reality we cannot afford to buy now.” Does that mean forever? No, because with the passage of time, circumstances have an opportunity to change. So in the future, that same couple may have the means to purchase a house.
Now, if a person were to step off a ledge, in an attempt to refute the law of gravity, he will find that the outcome of his experiment will not be altered by time nor circumstance. The first is an example of reality, the second of truth. Conversely, let us suppose that truth yields to reality. Then there is disorder, in this instance, as truth changes congruently with reality by time and circumstance. If truth does change, then truth is a lie. Our friend on the ledge should then get a different outcome to his experiment on a Thursday, than he would have gotten on a Monday – which would then make the law of gravity a lie, and that is not the case.
For truth is ageless and beyond contestation. The story does not end with Alonso Quixana on his death bed, a beaten man. Present with him is his squire Sancho and his lady Dulcinea. They are overcome with grief, because the man that lay prostrate before them is not he who rekindled in their hearts the flame of goodness, charity and dignity. They remind him of the truth that he stood for in his quest to revive chivalry.
As he listens to their pleas, something stirs within him. His despairing heart is rejuvenated by their overtures of encouragement and love. He rises up vigorously and passionately promises to sally forth again. However, his endearing strength of spirit is too much for his frail and aged body to bear. As he succumbs to death, he is again Don Quixote, who passes from this world to the next, while in the arms of his lady and squire. He dies as he lived: a knight.
The image that Don Quixote beheld in the mirror was his reality, not his truth. His truth was in how he saw himself. And this, likewise, is how others saw him. The profound impression left upon those who crossed his path encouraged change (where once thought impossible) – and for the better. So much so that an Aldonza believed she could become a Dolcinea.
Takeaway: Truth is not reflected in a mirror, but contained in the heart. It is often obscured by reality. Yet truth’s existence is confirmed by its outward effectiveness. No matter how distorted the inconsistent worldly realities may jade a heart, there in its farthest corner truth abides: A truth that endures and ensures the restoration of life to its full goodness, for one who desires it enough to fight for it. Like Don Quixote, we too can fulfill our just cause. If in the end, we are found fighting still.
via Alan Malizia in Of Truth And Reality at Contagious Optimism.
One year ago today:
Failures…were successes
(Photo by Dani of Teddy and Tottie)
“Some of the biggest failures I ever had were successes.” — Pearl S. Buck
One year ago today, my post was about the beauty that is often present in imperfection. A couple of weeks ago I had a most unusual experience which underscores the point that some setbacks often turn out to be successful in a unique way.
If you read the comments, you may have figured out that a few of us in the blogosphere recently got together for an online tea time, crossing the international date line so that some participated on Monday evening while others were simultaneously joining us on Tuesday morning. Time travel via the internet!
Technology being what it is, however, things did not go as planned. No matter – it was great fun anyway. Now that I’ve updated my version of Skype, it should go better next time and we’ll all be able to see each other. But, the interesting part is that the voices came through amazingly clearly, as if we were all in the same room, and some of us agreed that we actually heard the voices more than we would have with pictures to distract us. With so many different accents going, that made it even more fun.
Afterward I was able to see some of what I missed through the blog posts of other attendees. I invite you to hop down to Australia with me for a few minutes and see Dani’s colorful photo review of the event, which I’m re-blogging here:
More Lady Edith than Audrey!
Posted on April 8, 2014
OK, so I looked a little more Downton Abbey than Breakfast At Tiffany’s for our big EVENT this morning.
Do you remember last week I was trying to channel my inner Audrey Hepburn, with hats and gloves being a prerequisite for a mysterious EVENT!
Well, I’m the first to admit that in the fashion stakes I was a little off the mark – and so was the weather …
I had a lovely garden setting for the EVENT in front of the veggie patches in The Oasis (not in front of the pond after all because I never did get to tidying it up!) …
… but the weather rained on my parade …
… or, rather, my super exciting … drum roll, please …
international …
Super-duper, splendiferous …multi-national tea party!
Yes, THE EVENT was a Skype, international, hat-and-glove wearing, poem-reading tea party organised by the amazing Boomdeeadda, featuring bloggers from Canada, the USA, New Zealand and little ‘ol me in Australia.
Somehow Boomdee worked out all the time differences, co-ordinated everyone’s available times and pulled the whole amazing thing together!
My shortbread got a bit soggy …
Tigger took over my high tea table when I moved inside to escape the rain …
And my rarely-worn mascara began running down my cheeks from a combination of rain and laughter as we all valiantly battled our way through a few Skype technical hitches.
We could all hear each other, but most of us couldn’t see each other.
I was one of the lucky ones because I managed, by complete dumb luck on my behalf, to see the gorgeous Gardening Nirvana – all the way over in California, USA! And she could see me! So exciting!
But, at the start, I could only see Boomdee’s stylish gravatar – and only hear the beautiful ladies from The Contented Crafter, Life On The Bike And Other Fab Things and Defeat Despair.
Casper instantly fell for Gravatar Boomdee’s charms – and thoroughly enjoyed the range of accents and conversation …
We all decided that despite technical difficulties – just hearing each other’s voices was fabulous enough – and we talked for ages about all sorts.
Finally, after reading out poems we’d selected for the Skype tea party, the extraordinary organiser of the EVENT appeared before my very eyes.
Yay! Boomdeeadda!
Thank-you for organising such a wonderful, exciting event!
I feel as though I have been on an overseas holiday this morning (without the scary plane ride or the hole in my bank balance!)
Aaah! The wonderful world of blogging just got even better!
via Dani at More Lady Edith than Audrey! | Teddy And Tottie.
********************************************************************
Dani, I couldn’t agree more…and thanks for giving us a virtual look at your lovely Australian garden! The next best thing to actually being there!
One year ago today:
Part of the silence
“In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence.” – Robert Lynd
Today’s photos are NOT mine, as much as I’d like to take credit for them. I’m re-blogging some amazing photos by Michael of talainsphotographyblog. Michael is a talented and prolific photographer who gives us a closeup view of the earth’s beauty. This is a great place to visit for nature lovers, especially those who are fond of birds.
Michael must be super-talented at becoming part of the silence, because he features all kinds of birds I have seldom seen, as well as uncommonly sharp shots of many common favorites.
If you haven’t been to Michael’s blog, here’s a small sample of what you have been missing. I hope these lovely pictures brighten your day as much as they do mine:
My best of 2013 | talainsphotographyblog | Page 2.
via Birds | talainsphotographyblog.
One year ago today:
The best way
I’ve never walked this particular path, so I have no idea where it goes.
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, photographed November 2004
He says the best way out is always through.
And I agree to that, or in so far
As that I can see no way out but through—
Leastways for me…
…Bless you, of course, you’re keeping me from work,
But the thing of it is, I need to be kept.
There’s work enough to do—there’s always that;
But behind’s behind. The worst that you can do
Is set me back a little more behind.
I sha’n’t catch up in this world, anyway.
I’d rather you’d not go unless you must.
Today’s post is dedicated, with sincere appreciation and gratitude, to all who read this blog and share this uncertain path with us. Your presence, comments, prayers and good wishes are a continual source of encouragement.
One year ago today:
Hard to plan
It looks to be a busy week, as usual. April 2014
“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” — E. B. White
I am writing this post in advance as usual, but I have a better-than-average idea what we will be doing on the day it is published, and it likely will be a long, difficult day for us. So I thought we could use a bit of comic relief today, especially since that was the theme one year ago. Let’s all hope that laughter is indeed the best medicine. Matt certainly has enjoyed that particular blessing in abundance; I pray it serves him well now.
Today, I encourage you to go out and improve the world. Or have fun. Or preferably, both! Drop me a line and fill me in on how it goes. I am eagerly awaiting good news.
One year ago today:
In every picture
Kathy, LaRhodia, Andy and Robert capture memories through photography.
I took these photos at various times during 2004-2008.
“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” — Ansel Adams
Looking through family snapshots, it’s usually pretty easy to tell who took the pictures. It’s the person who isn’t in many of them. With the advent of “selfies” it’s changing somewhat, but generally speaking, photographers don’t spend much time in front of the lens.
Maybe that’s why I like to take pictures of people taking pictures. I have something in common with people who love cameras, and I enjoy catching them in the act of saving memories for themselves and other people to enjoy.
Are you the photographer in your family? If not, try making some photos of the person who is normally behind the camera rather than in front of it. If you can manage to take a picture of him or her taking pictures, so much the better. It’s a nice way to round out the story in a collection of photos; a nod to the unseen storyteller whose presence, though seldom seen, is always felt.
One year ago today:
Many ports
Jeff snapped this photo of me aboard the Balclutha in San Francisco,
during one of the riskiest seasons of my life. November 2003
“There are ships sailing to many ports, but not a single one goes where life is not painful.” ― Fernando Pessoa
Sea voyages make good metaphors for life, because they encompass the adventure, daring, uncertainty, beauty and danger that are part of living. It might be easy to dream of a journey as a means of escape, but in reality, trouble is everywhere and risk abounds, even for those who try to escape calamity by staying home.
As Pessoa points out, pain will be inevitable even with a smooth voyage and safe arrival. Though we may not set sail for the same ports, we have sorrow in common. We also have joy, hope, compassion and the excitement of discovery. Let’s continue to help each other in faith that what unites us is greater than what divides us. All of us face challenges, known and unknown, and we need each other.
One year ago today:
This is the power
This mosaic is one of many in the Resurrection Chapel at Washington National Cathedral.
Photographed April 2005
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand. — Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Yesterday I wrote of singing to give myself courage and stamina as I drove alone to the hospital late on the night Jeff was first diagnosed and went into emergency surgery. I sang two songs that night on the relatively short drive that I feared would seem endless when I started out. Yesterday’s blog talked about the first song. This song is the second.
Though it’s a fairly recent composition, many beautiful versions have already been recorded. Here’s one that’s quite unique; I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. If you want to hear only the triumphant final verse quoted above, you can jump to 2:45 into the song.
When I first learned this song several years ago, I thought of Matt whenever we sang that verse. The words “from life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny” brought to mind my memories of the tiny infant struggling to breathe in the neonatal intensive care unit, who went on to survive more than most of us can imagine. As he undergoes his fifth and riskiest open heart surgery this week, I expect that I will be silently singing this song to myself more than once through the long hours of waiting.
Since September, when we sing this verse at church now I think also of that dark drive to the hospital, and of Jeff and what he has been through the past 20 months. Though he and Matt express it differently, both of them continue to live as they always have, in quiet faith that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
For most Christians, Easter reminds us of what we believe every day: that the most important victory of all time has already been won. Many of us will be singing about that today, finding in God’s promises the “peace that passes understanding.” I honestly believe the peace on earth we all crave must first begin inside each one of us, not as a passive acquiescence, but as a rock-solid assurance that replaces fear with faith and love. I wish that peace for everyone who reads these words. “Hallelujah is our song.”
For a special Easter greeting, click here
Last year on Easter:
All now mysterious shall be bright
I photographed this sculpture inside Cologne Cathedral, May 2007.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below. — Katharina von Schlegel
In seventh grade, I played clarinet in our school band, and we learned to play what became one of my favorite pieces of classical music, the beautiful theme from Finlandia by Sibelius, to which these lyrics were written. I’ve always thought the hymn comforting, particularly for one such as I, who often has to remind myself to be still amid the crises and anxieties of life.
One Saturday night in September 2012, the song became especially dear to me, as I sang it to myself while driving alone at 11:00 pm on the dark and unfamiliar roads to the hospital. Jeff was in emergency surgery for appendicitis, after having called me with the devastating news that they had found tumors on his liver and suspected metastatic cancer. I was beside myself with shock and fear, but singing these words gave me an anchor in the storm, and somehow helped me get to the hospital safely despite being far too upset to drive.
Perhaps my distraught emotions that Saturday night were not so very different from those felt by the friends and loved ones of Jesus on that Saturday nearly two thousand years ago. More than once I’ve heard it said of them, “Sunday was coming, but they didn’t know it yet.” The shock, grief and uncertainty of what might lie ahead must have been overpowering. Did they, like me, cling to a hope that felt more desperate than logical?
I’m sure most everyone reading this has faced something similar, a time of great sorrow, fear and inner turmoil. Perhaps some are facing such a dark night of the soul right now. If so, my prayer for you is that you will find the balm of peace, and rays of hope that joy will come in the morning.
Last year on the day before Easter:
Gift of love
I took this photo in May 2008 at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia,
where exterior sculptures tell the story of Jesus.
Your gift of love, they crucified
They laughed and scorned Him as He died
The humble King they named a fraud
And sacrificed the Lamb of God. — Twila Paris
This Easter weekend, I am going to quote verses from some hymns I love that seem especially fitting for this season. Of all the most powerful ways to defeat despair, the singing of “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” is perhaps my favorite. This simple, beautiful tribute written by Twila Paris is a song we sing often at church, but no matter how often we sing it, I cannot get through it without tears.
I will always be grateful for having grown up in a church that taught singing as something that belonged to the entire congregation, not just a select and talented few in a choir or band. Because everybody was expected to sing, the emphasis was on the meaning and spirit behind the songs rather than on the performance. Sometimes this produced uneven results, particularly in smaller groups, yet it instilled in me a readiness to sing despite not being musically gifted. More importantly, it planted the words to countless songs deep in my heart, allowing me to sing these songs from memory whenever I most need their messages.
—–
As a child, I never understood why this day was called “Good Friday.” What could possibly have been good about it? It took me many years to begin to understand the profound truths underlying the themes of redemption through suffering, and joy that can be borne only of pain. Although I still have a long way to go before I fully comprehend the beautiful words of Isaiah 53, I can find a comfort in them today that I scarcely imagined when my life was more innocent and carefree.
Today, I encourage you to remember with me the transient nature of this life, and for those of us who are Christians, to reflect on the blessed mystery of a God who was willing to become one of us, even to the point of a gruesome and humiliating death.
Last year on Good Friday:
Our noblest hopes
This mounted tiger appears high overhead at the Museum of Natural History.
The Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, April 2013
“Our noblest hopes grow teeth and pursue us like tigers.” — John Gardner
Tigers may be my favorite wild animals. Their beauty and power fascinate me. I like this quote, because I believe hope can be a formidable weapon against despair. I tend to think of hope as a passive, almost delicate quality; something silent and steadfast, but hardly the word that comes to mind when we see a magnificent tiger.
Yet think of history’s most daring explorers, the legendary defenders of the weak, champions of justice and underdogs who defeated the enemy against all odds. Consider the many heroic characters of fairy tales and other literature. Aside from courage, what other quality do they all have? Hope — the refusal to give up or give in, the persistent belief that success, or victory, or a breakthrough, is within their power.
Note that Gardner is not referring to pipe dreams or selfish aspirations here – he says it’s our noblest hopes that can pursue and overtake us.
The next time you are feeling defeated by despair, remember that hope, once awakened, is a ferocious and mighty asset. Feed your noblest hopes, let them grow teeth, and watch them empower you to do more than you ever imagined.
One year ago today:
Open arms
This is what happens when your grandmother is a librarian. Dunwoody, Georgia, March 2014
“A library should be like a pair of open arms.” ― Roger Rosenblatt
“So why on earth would you take an eight-month-old baby to a library?” my mother asked me, when I told her how Matt and I had spent the previous day with Grady. As a retired librarian who specialized in youth services, I just smiled and offered her the photographic evidence, some of which appears in the collage above. My mother understood immediately.
This was Grady’s first-ever trip into the open arms of the public library. I hope there will be many, many more in the weeks and months and years to come. Knowing how much both his parents love reading, I have a sneaky suspicion my hope will almost certainly be fulfilled.
Next time your mind needs a hug, head for your local library — but be warned: you might find it’s hard to leave!
One year ago today:
The earth laughs
One week each year we are treated to this sight outside our bedroom and bathroom windows.
Photographed from our bedroom, Alexandria, Virginia, April 9, 2014
“The earth laughs in flowers.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
If Emerson is right, this spring ought to be a riot of hilarity, the kind that comes as a huge relief after sustained tension. Last week, the cherry blossoms “brought down the house” with the earth’s mirth in the DC area. I hope you too are having a jovial treat now appearing in your local landscape. Feel free to send photos or links to share with us, and let’s join the earth in laughing away our winter doldrums.
One year ago today:
You know how it is
This April day was part March, part May, all fun.
Overlooking the Rhine River in Germany, April 2007
“The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You’re one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you’re two months back in the middle of March.” – Robert Frost
When getting ready to go out for a long walk, I’ve learned that the temperature is not the biggest consideration in deciding how warmly to dress. What seems to make the most difference is: how windy is it? A sunny, warmish day can feel frigid with a strong wind, but if the air is calm and the skies clear, it will be a pleasant walk even if the temperatures are below 50.
By now I hope most of us are experiencing at least some days such as Frost describes here, where the calendar seems to have moved on a few weeks, if only temporarily. As for those March winds, I have a whole new appreciation of their relatively temperate nature, after the snows of last month! But today, I wish you a day that feels like May.
One year ago today:
A curious paradox
Flowers growing in the city where I grew: Atlanta, March 2014
“There is a curious paradox that no one can explain.
Who understands the secret of the reaping of the grain?
Who understands why Spring is born out of Winter’s laboring pain,
or why we must all die a bit before we grow again.”
— Tom Jones (playwright) from The Fantasticks
Today I send virtual flowers to everyone who has endured an extra measure of “Winter’s laboring pain” this year, literally or figuratively.
May we all grow again this spring, bringing color and joy to our worlds!
One year ago today:
Very valuable
These memories are among the photos and cards saved by Daddy’s mother.
I re-discovered them on an recent trip home in March, 2014.
“What a pity that I didn’t keep my childhood – it would be very valuable now.”
— Ashleigh Brilliant
One year ago today, I wrote about the April birthday shared by my father and my brother. I had forgotten that my father’s father, who died when I was a baby, had almost had the same birthday. I re-discovered this fact as I was rummaging through my father’s baby book which was kept lovingly by his mother, so long ago that it’s now officially an antique! I am grateful she saved these bits from the past, and they somehow survived so that I can enjoy them today.
In contemporary culture, we struggle with having too many things. Almost all of us need to throw away, give away or otherwise part with a great deal of what we have. But save a few tokens of the past for future generations to enjoy. Someday, they will be very valuable to people who are probably not even born yet. I never knew my paternal grandfather, but a part of him lives on in his letters and photographs. As an actor in a traveling theatre troupe, he was away from home when my father was born, but penned this letter to him that has now been read by many descendents he never met.
By the way: as it happens, Ashleigh (the author of this quote) did save a good bit of his childhood, in the form of detailed journals he kept from boyhood on, which he has laboriously transcribed verbatim to digital files, and shared online with his friends and fans. Reading through them gives a fascinating picture of what everyday life was like in wartime England. Ashleigh’s reflections on the headlines we studied decades later in history class provide us with a boy’s viewpoint on difficult circumstances, under which life nonetheless went on. But it’s the everyday details I find most interesting, the things that never made it into the history books.
I hope you will keep at least a little of your childhood in the tangible symbols that your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren can enjoy long after you have left this earth.
One year ago today:
They will shine
Beautiful on the outside, but nothing hidden shines through.
A sculpture at the Musée D’Orsay, Paris, August 2005
“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” ― Roald Dahl
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment…Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit…” — I Peter 3:3-4
One year ago today, I quoted from another aviator who, like Roald Dahl, is best known to millions as a writer. The quote from Saint-Exupery is one of my all-time favorites, about the beauty of what lies hidden.
We’ve all known people whose outward appearance was not attractive in any conventional sense, but who radiate a powerfully appealing presence that draws us to them. When we come face-to-face with someone whose wonderful character shines through a seemingly flawed exterior, it up-ends our shallower notions about what matters most in a person.
The idea of inner beauty has unfortunately become a sort of cliché, the kind of thing that we talk about but don’t really believe (hence the millions of dollars spent each year on cosmetics, elective surgery and other efforts to create physical perfection). I think the endless media onslaught of air-brushed, largely mythical images of “perfect” people has desensitized us to the point that we have nearly forgotten how to really see each other.
Each person you meet is a deep well of unseen thoughts, memories, ideas and dreams. With very few exceptions, there is much that is beautiful inside, although it may be hidden at first glance. As we strive to shine forth in a way that goes beyond superficial adornment, let’s also be on the lookout for that hidden beauty inside each person we see today. Sometimes, believing is seeing.
One year ago today:
Most engaging
We got a big kick out of this sight in Ephesus, Turkey, May 2008.
“The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.” — Samuel Johnson
Is there any brand name more tiresomely familiar than Walmart? Yet this enterprising Turkish businessman found a way to put a humorous spin on it, borrowing that famous name and slogan for his small merchandise stand near the ruins of Ephesus. Familiar, but not the same old thing! We instantly felt more at home when we saw it.
When I first found today’s quote, I wished there was a way to feature it with a collage of re-blogs from so many of my favorite bloggers, all of whom have made their exotic (to me) worlds more familiar. It would be equally fitting to re-blog an assortment of posts from those whose lives or locations are more familiar to me, yet who have helped me, through their writing and photos, to see the ordinary with new eyes.
So, my fellow bloggers and blog readers, I borrow Misifusa’s encouraging words and urge you to SHINE ON! Though some might belittle what we do, I really believe we are making the world a friendlier place, one exchange at a time. Thanks for being here, and for taking me there!
And by the way…those shop owners at Ephesus certainly have a sense of humor:
One year ago today:
The little pictures
This enormous mosaic of happily-ever-after was created one tiny tile at a time.
Cinderella’s castle, Walt Disney World, August 2003
“Change enough of the little pictures, and you’ll find you’ve changed the big picture.” — Ashleigh Brilliant
For many years — almost since I first discovered Ashleigh’s work in 1990 — I’ve had this quote on my refrigerator door. It reminds me to be patient when results come slowly, and not to feel helpless if I am only able to accomplish small things when I long to achieve great ones. It helps me realize that it’s better to take small steps in faith rather than be overwhelmed by the enormity of any endeavor.
So many remarkable accomplishments involve far more time and work than is understood by those of us who benefit from someone else’s labor of love. Whether it’s a meticulously prepared meal, a colorful mosaic or a soaring cathedral, we tend to spend far less time enjoying it than its creator(s) spent putting it together. That’s natural, of course, but it can build into us a sort of impatience for results that is unrealistic and frustrating when we are the ones expending the effort to build something worthwhile.
If your day involves many tedious or seemingly insignificant tasks, consider that the importance of your tiny brushstrokes may be less obvious because you are unable to see the entire canvas from close range. Eventually, when you are able to step back and see the results of months (or years) of determined diligence from you and others in your world, the beauty of your life may take your breath away.
One year ago today:
The people you meet
From Naples, we toured Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast
with this lovely family. May, 2008
“The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.” — Amelia Barr
One thing I love about travel is the way it brings people together who might never otherwise meet. Cruises are great for this, with continual group activities planned, but even those of us who don’t go to the many onboard social events and games will still end up chatting with others while going ashore on a tender or lining up to board the ship at the end of a day spent exploring a new port.
Technology has made cruising easier in many ways, enabling passengers booked on a particular cruise to meet online ahead of time and exchange tips and information. Websites such as Cruise Critic sponsor forums for passengers of specific scheduled cruises. Past cruisers have helpful hints on what to bring and what to avoid, along with names of good tour and transportation companies, and not-to-be-missed sights at various ports of call. And for those of us who prefer not to take the ship-sponsored tours, such websites are a great way to contact others who want to share a cab for the day to explore at a faster pace and lower cost.
Before our Mediterranean cruise in 2008, I went to Cruise Critic to find travel partners for our days in Florence, Ephesus and Naples, since we had much that we wanted to see in each of those ports, and wanted to have a private cab or van to share with people who had the same plans. It was so much more fun to explore with others from our ship, and we felt safer, too, knowing someone would notice if we didn’t get back to the car at the agreed time.
For example, when we were driving the stunning Amalfi Coast and got stuck in traffic on the way back, it was reassuring to be with friends from our ship who would be “in the same boat” — or not — if the ship sailed without us! Not to mention the fact that two of our four companions were physicians; always a nice perk if there’s a medical emergency.
The cost to travel this way is far cheaper than buying a cruise-sponsored tour, and because only a few people are in the group (instead of 20 or more) it’s much easier to move efficiently from one sight to another. Online reviews and research have good information about which companies are most trustworthy, and in some cases, even an individual driver will be recommended by several different people. Having such travel tools at hand can make a trip go more smoothly, with a sense of familiarity when you are among fellow tourists you have already “met” online, going to places you’ve read about beforehand.
If you have travel plans coming up soon, I hope that you will come home with happy memories, not only of where you went and what you did, but also of people you met along the way. May you find, as we have, that there are friendly, helpful people all over the world, just waiting to greet you and share a few smiles to take the edge off the tiring, anxious or frustrating moments.
One year ago today:
A perfect ratio
The dunes at Jockey’s Ridge, on the outer banks of North Carolina,
are great for strolling, kite flying, and staying sane. September, 2013
“There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount , a perfect ratio of water to rock, water to sand, insuring that wide, free, open, generous spacing among plants and animals…There is no lack of water here unless you try to establish a city where no city should be.” — Edward Abbey
Sometimes we make the mistake of seeing deficits in any situation that lacks the elements to which we are most accustomed. Thus a geographic region, a climate, a culture, a house or even a person may seem inadequate to us, when it’s actually our perception that needs adjusting.
I don’t count myself among those who love the desert, but I must admit that there’s a singular beauty in wide panoramas of sand, uninterrupted by the water, trees and flowers I normally prefer. There’s a sort of mental cleansing that happens when one is in such an environment, which complements the physical exertion of walking in sand. Climbing a high dune often ends in a breathlessness that is quite fitting to the expansive view that rewards plodding to the top. If the dunes are adjacent to water, a stunning combination of sand, sea and sky stretches as far as the eye can see.
If you are fortunate enough to live near such an area, you might find a quick outing there is a perfect antidote to the overwhelming stimulation of contemporary life. If you are too far away to visit a desert or dune in person, a bit of the same serenity can be found in any area free of visual distractions and noise. Some of the long, monochromatic and unadorned hallways of the massive medical center where Jeff spent so much time this past year provided me with a refreshing break when I would stroll through them in the evenings after most employees had left for the day.
What we usually might see as barren can be a balm to the soul when we feel bombarded with too much to process in too short a time. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I wish you an expansive place of quiet where you can escape, even if only briefly, to a perfect ratio of less and more.
One year ago today:
A genuine interest
An everyday moment, now a treasured memory. Dixon, California, January 2003
“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” ― William Morris
I like to keep a camera handy so I can capture everyday moments, the type that seem commonplace. Now that most people have cell phones with cameras, this is happening more often, and I think that’s mostly a good thing. As with all such innovations, it can be overdone or misused, but I think cameras can help us be more aware of how wonderful even the seemingly dullest day can be.
When I was working as a youth services librarian in California, there was a lively group of kids who came to the public library every afternoon after school because there was no one at home and they didn’t want to be alone. Sensing that they needed something different to do while they spent so much time in the small “children’s room” of the library, one of the other staff members and I decided to start a craft day for them. Each week we would work together on some sort of simple craft, and soon other young visitors and parents joined in regularly.
There was nothing particularly special about the day I snapped this photo. I just happened to have my camera along with me. I look at it now and it brings me such joy to remember these precious children I saw almost every day. After more than eleven years, they are all adults now, and many of them probably have children of their own. If so, I hope they take their kids to the library with fond memories of what a fun place it can be.
Are there everyday moments you have captured, on film or in your memory, that bring you joy to this day? I hope you will look around today and take some snapshots, with a camera or just with your mind, to remind you of all the often-unnoticed things that make up your daily life. I’ve found that what Morris said holds true; when we look closely at our lives, they become quite interesting, and bring us deep happiness.
One year ago today:
And speaking of daily life, you might enjoy a visit to one of my favorite blogs. It’s called Pictures from Everyday Life. I love to go there and take a mini-escape to England, where I can go for a virtual walk in the lovely countryside with Jez, Max, and Julia. She has a gift for capturing the beautiful moments of “normal” days. It’s a great way to enjoy everyday life in England, something I’ve always wished I could do in reality!
Defeat Despair 