August 25, Sunday – Laura Daily’s instagram post was titled, “clouds in my bubbly”. Laura, that title is deep, and of course it could just be clouds in your bubbly. For me it was deep. I hadn’t really wanted to write about my Sunday – it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
For the best of times – I had a fabulous day writing and wandering in Paris. Found more Caroline books from the sweetest older man selling by the Seine. Ventured back to Shakespeare and Company and began navigating the back streets, the nooks, the cranny’s of Paris.
Enjoyed watching a Sunday unfold in this city of light! And wow there’s been a lot of sunshine!!! There was yoga happening, nestled under the shade of a tree, by the Louvre. A man in a scuba suit, who jumped off a boat into the Seine and started trolling around. I couldn’t decide which was more fun, watching him gyrate about or watching all the people walking by trying to figure out what this guy was up to. Me included! So many selfies happening on every bridge, every street corner. And I stumbled on a small corner of Paris near Quai de la Corse that sells birds. Thousands of caged birds, and puzzled pigeons roaming below. The juxtaposition of the free and the caged.
My arrival home always lights up my phone, finally being back on wifi. What a joy having days with no alerts, no pull to glance at my phone. Try it for a day, put your phone on airplane mode and step out of the cage! It does give me pause. How many ‘cages” have we created in our lives? And yet, I am so grateful for my connections through this device.
For the worst of times – Friends had messaged me that one of our dearest and oldest friends fell again, causing irreparable damage. Thousands of miles from her home in Dallas, my heart aches for her pain, her family’s pain. If I was in the states, I would fly to her. The best I am able to do, thanks to Cindy, a mutual friend sitting with Frances, was to whisper my love and support through the phone. We knew she heard me, with no voice and eyes closed, she gave me a thumbs up. Frances I have the biggest cloud of love for you, I am blowing it your way with every breath today and always. When it reaches you I know it will have gathered in velocity, and joined forces with the breath of so many others. Let it be a pillow of strength and love and kindness that you have always shown the world. I pray it finds its way to you, to soften and strengthen your journey my friend.
I ask all of you reading this, please send breath into this joy cloud for my dear, dear Frances.
Welcome to Wonder 