A walk around the square… or

 20 minutes to kill.

 

The other day I needed to take someone to an appointment which wouldn’t last long. As there were no parking spaces in the immediate vicinity I went “the other way” and found myself in part of the original Old Town of Geneva, but not on the cathedral side.

 

20 minutes took me first to the Henry Moore statue up on the bluff overlooking the city and across from

 

Reclining figure: Arch leg

 

The Museum of Art and History (MAH). Intriguing the red digital put out of seemingly endless numbers. I will need to ask the next time I am there what it is supposed to mean.

 

 

Then backtracking towards the car I came across a statue to the Admiral Le Fort – who served Peter the Great. Fitting as the Russian Orthodox church is not far. But again, why a Geneva, admiral of the Russian Fleet?

 

A beautiful sunny day that raised more questions than it answered.

The P.S.s of life

In a lovely little book put together by Eliakim Katz called “Old Age comes at a bad time”, which, in turn is a quate from Sue Banducci, Arthur Schopenauer, a German philosopher said “The first forty years of life gives us the text; the next thirty years supply the commentary.”

 

Ah, but we are living longer now so I am going to add a P.S. the next however many one gets are the asterixis, the quotes, the exclamations points, in short the punctuation.

Perhaps at 71 one adds an Asterix whilst explaining one’s text or commentary, then one starts quoting one’s younger self, only to end up putting exclamation points on getting through the day with minimal aches and pains.

 

Let the P.S.s come.

 

 

The beauty of accidents

Now I know what you’re thinking: accidents – beautiful – not in my world.

But I am talking about a very minor accident: a waitress who spilled water.

It beaded on the black table sets and made a very pretty pattern.

 

No, not all accidents cause beauty, it’s enough that this one did.

 

 

Miracles

As Albert Einstein said « There are two ways of living one’s life: as though nothing was a miracle, or as if everything was a miracle”.

 

The second version is obviously the better attitude.

 

I have had my share of “miracles”, two of whom are my sons.

 

Today is a celebration of that wonderful day when our first-born arrived in our lives.

46 years later he has become a wonderful man, husband and father – as well as a person who is straight, honest and – with the advent of the family – more aware of the specialness of family.

 

Starting small

 With the writing that is. It will take awhile to get back in the groove so to speak - a phrase that was popular in my youth, but that is probably no longer ever used.

I have mentioned several times how much I love “A THOUGHT FOR TODAY” from Wordsmith.

This one is from several years ago, but ever so pertinent to our lives at the moment.

With a world filled with seemingly only bad news and problems one needs to keep Joseph Addison’s (1672-1719) saying in mind.

« Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for«.”

I also take note that he ended his sentence with a preposition – something that I have spent my whole life trying to avoid. I guess there’s room for change.

 

Write, write, write

 

Write, write, write

Said my older son,

Write, write, write,

Repeats my younger one.

 

There is no season,

There is no time,

When for any reason

It’s not fine

 

So write, write – right!

Grief and Remembrance

 

Grief doesn’t disappear,

It crashes into one likes the waves on the rocks,

Then recedes quietly as it came.

Before the next wave.

 

It comes like a thief, stealing one’s breath

and thoughts – an uneasy return to the past.

One learns to adapt - to “live” with grief,

one never learns to forget it.

 

The memories surface at their own pace

And one’s will is no match,

One can only ride the tide

And wait for calmer waters.

 

Grief is an ongoing fact of life.

One with which one learns to live,

But never accept.

 

RIP little sis, you were loved, you are remembered!