Some string

Kindergarten teacher: Do you know what I like about your children?

Me: No, what?

Teacher: Most of the other children keep on saying, "What should I do?" or, "Can you play with me?" They think it is our job to keep them entertained. With your children, we can give them some string and they run off and play happily for the next three hours. 

... a proud moment as a mom.

* This post is part of my "Growing Up & Growing Old" project.  

Life of Pie

This is one of my friends favourite quotes.

* This post is part of my "Growing Up & Growing Old" project.

Green eggs and ham

Me: what is one of your favourite life quotes?

Friend: green eggs and ham

Even though I remember reading this book to my younger brother and other children during my babysitting years, I forgot what the message of this book was. So, I did some research. And found it almost painful to listen to the story to its end. Along the way I got nicely distracted. Finally, I skipped ahead and voilá, I learnt the moral of "green eggs and ham"; life wants you to bow down and surrender to all its wonders. 

How often have I had a "green eggs and ham" realisation? More than I can count. What comes instantly to mind, is how often as a teenager and young adult I resisted liking someone. I met them and instantly crossed them off the list. And then there were an endless series of "in a house with a mouse, not in a box not with a fox" encounters and all of a sudden, surprisingly, I have a new friend.

Thankfully, or rather, hopefully, with age I am much more likely to try green eggs and ham when it comes my way.

* This post is part of my "Growing Up & Growing Old" project.  

Leaving behind her childhood

Our daughter moved away from home yesterday. One of numerous moving-aways over the years. First, she was off to the university in Bremen. Then off to do her Masters in Edinburgh. Off to work in Vienna. Now off to do her PhD in Hamburg. Each time it was difficult to see her leave with her collection of suitcases and boxes, yet surely, we felt a sense of pride to see her go. 

After a few years away, she would return for a few months to reorient herself and figure our what to do with her life. She would move back into her bedroom.  She did her best to place her clothes, books, laptop and phone amongst the still filled cupboards and bookshelves of her childhood. Occasionally, she would also sit at her piano and tinker away at the keys. Those times were months of limbo between childhood and where-to-go-next.

This time she has left with a new self-assurance. Now she knows where she is going. It was her decision alone. There was no inner necessity to get on with her life. No demons in the background telling her to move on. This move was towards herself as an adult with purpose. 

Most fittingly, she left behind an empty room. She got rid of everything in the room, but bed and piano. Those she took with her. 

* This post is part of my "Growing Up & Growing Old" project.   

The sky

Me: What's your favourite saying?
Sister: There are no limits, but the sky. Believe.

My dear sister lives on a boat. She is surrounded by water, by sky. And birds. And her baskets. And a whole slew of lovely people in the Gibson community out in British Columbia. What an amazing life she lives.

* This post is part of my "Growing Up & Growing Old" project.   

Fighting pigeons

Two pigeons fighting

Over one dark bare tree branch
Cold winter wind bites. 

Slowing the mind

Slowing down my mind,

Requires much more effort,

Than shinning my boots. 

Swim in the moonlight

When we were staying at my parent's place in Grenada... one of the rituals we would do every night before going to bed was to go for a late night swim. Whether under moonlight or starlight, those moments of moving through water blissfully unconcerned, senses almost in slumber, were precious precious gifts. 

* This post is part of my "Growing Up & Growing Old" project.   

Bamboo forest

A quiet day spent in conversation with family. Discovering a new K-pop group. NCT - 127. Then time with friends. Walking. Talking. 

Tonight, noodle salad and a Korean romance. One with a mystical bamboo forest and parallel worlds. Were it so, to spring back and forth.

And finally, best of all, hopefully, a good night's sleep.

Numbers of fallen leaves

Counting the numbers 

of fallen leaves, does not 

Show the colour of each 

Story, journey, flight 

Than gathering and forming 

Into a carpet of wonder.

The numbers of ill and dying are alarming. There is a collective feeling tragedy weighing us down.

Light at the end of the tunnel

I have this dream of "doing" something this year that was not possible last year. I am considering joining our car-sharing program again. I haven't done so for years because most of my travel was on train or plane. Not knowing when travel outside of Germany will be possible, I have an idea of doing more road trips or just door-to-door trips (visiting friends in other cities). 

Slowly, I am thinking about places that I could drive to and spend time there both working and taking time off. I would like to see if my boss would allow me to WFA (work from anywhere) for 2-3 months this summer. In all likelihood, we will remain in lockdown this winter, but hopefully in the next 6-7 months the situation will improve.

Theme of 2021: Year of Freedom

I am trying to come up with a "theme" for this year. I am wondering whether it should be the "Year of Improvisation"  or the "Year of Freedom".

* This post is part of my "Growing Up & Growing Old" project and my Year of Freedom project.   

New memories

 

Never was a New Year so welcomed.

Slowly, I can move away from the 

Constant state of stillness that has

Haunted much of my movements

These last months and months.

Instead I will improvise constantly

Stretching, flexing, dodging, delivering

Whatever, whenever, something comes

To mind or from my heart, my heart

No longer trembling, but pumping

Life elixir through every part of this 

New life. Today. This very moment.

* This post is part of my "Growing Up & Growing Old" project.