Light

Flying Backwards in Time

Belonging, Joie de vivre, Light
Posted on 16 Comments on Flying Backwards in Time

Flying from Paris to Seattle means going back in time nine hours, as noon in Seattle is 9 p.m. in Paris. We left Paris in the afternoon, the sun never went down, it simply got more brilliant. Wish I could say that about myself.
Nor did I get any younger traveling backward in time. Perhaps a good thing.

As I gazed out the window at the endless expanse of white cumulus clouds, the wonder of it brought a peacefulness to surround me. The ice crystals on the window were exquisite. They glittered delicately as the air rushed around the plane.

Nutella, the chocolate hazelnut cream, is very popular in Paris. I sure get that, I don’t keep it my house as a jar is gone in a day. I had not seen Nutella B-ready treats before. O la la! A crunchy delight. I munched on a couple of them as I gazed blissfully through the ice crystals at the soft white expanse.

As the plane shifted direction a bit, the sun moved a tad more to the other side of the plane. In watching the ice crystals, I noticed the wing of the plane looked like a shark. A shark in the sky. Stay with me here.
What do you think?

Time on the plane with no responsibilities other than staying in my seat. My mind drifted, dozed, wondered, and remembered all the wonders of France. Of Paris. Of Chartres. Of Langres. Of reconnecting with my French cousins. Gathering all I could about Denis Diderot, my grandparents, the American soldiers in the Haute-Marne district during WWI (thanks to an amazing, dedicated man, Franck Besch, who has gathered so much information, artifacts and memorabilia for the museum he created and maintains in Marac, ‘Le Petit Musee du Doughboy’), and the ramparts around Langres.

Sparkling ice flakes, a shark, peace, connection to my family. What more could I ask?

Thanks for reading!
Yes, you can follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and f/b. My novel-in-progress is set in Langres. O la la, I am planning the next trip.

It’s About the Light

Authenticity, Autumn, Being a Parent, Being human, Light
Posted on 29 Comments on It’s About the Light

The leaves drift and drop from the trees each fall. It is often thought the leaves falling is due to the cooler weather. Simplistically, it is more about the decreasing amount of light as the days become shorter, the chlorophyll which give the leaves their green color breaks down, and the leaves change their color to the many magnificent oranges, yellows, golds, scarlets, amber, rust, and crimson.

It’s about the light.

When I was afraid to go upstairs to my bedroom as a 5 and 6 year old because it was dark and I could not be sure there was no creepy thing lurking. There was not light in the stairway or upper room until I got to my bedroom.

How many times have I been stopped by my own fear and uncertainty? When I didn’t think I could see enough? So it didn’t stop at age 6!

Hydrangea. Photo by MDessein

Ah, when did I not see when I was the light? As my children have become autonomous, amazing adults, I sometimes look back and wish I had known better for times they were in distress and uncertainty. I tended to react to the event, their behavior, and circumstances rather than look at the bigger picture, possible actions, and then respond. Yet, they are both still speaking to me! and I look forward to each time. For the most part, they remember when I stood up for them, taught them, played with them~

Mukilteo sunset. Photo by MDessein

Michael Strassfeld is an author, a rabbi, and thinker. One of his thoughts captured my attention, “Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished.”

Be the light.

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