Not Enough

We have too much of everything:
Too much food to throw because it's past due date;
Too many cars dotting the roads,
Too many Winters and not enough Sun.
Too many wars decided by fate
And not enough trees.

Too many lumps of coal, too much smoke
Too many books, too many hours to work
Too many worries,
Too much money to waste
On too many illusions
But not enough peace,
Not enough love.

Quiet Wakes

Just take my hand;
I'll hold your silences close to my heart. Forever.
Our souls make music in these quiet wakes
And we shall share this infinite together
For as long as it takes,
On this forgotten land.

A Big, Warm Hug

 

A long time ago, when my beloved Nana passed away, I promised myself that I would never go to a funeral again – except mine.

Joke aside; it doesn’t take a Rocket Scientist to figure out that I really don’t deal very well with loss and grief.
A very selfish approach - I came to realise - but my birth day this year has changed it: this year, I chose to spend my 40^th birthday honouring the life of a very brave fellow mother who lost her battle with cancer.
We weren’t very close, but the friendship we struck during the school drop off and pick-up times has left such a strong mark. I feel very lucky to have known her, and maybe we did cross paths for a reason.

While grieving is still a very raw issue to me, I now understand that here are so many other heartaches out there. Like how do you say good bye to your loved ones, especially to your children? How can you keep positive, trying to make some great last memories for them? How do you hide your tears, knowing you will not see them growing and that you will be missing out on everything we otherwise take for granted?

I keep thinking about her randomly. This morning, she popped in my thoughts while I peeped outside, over the grasslands and I was greeted by this view.
I don't easily believe in signs, but fog is very unusual at this time of the year and during the entire period we have been living here, I have only seen this particular type of sunset only once before. today, it really felt like the Universe was sending down a big,warm hug. I thought I'd pass it around to everyone in need of one.

Love, Hope and Strength

Once again the world is unbalanced and we find ourselves gasping for air, as we follow the news in disbelief.

God is the greatest, they shouted. But this is not a war of God.
God is Love, Hope and Strength and he has nothing to do with people killing others in his name.

It’s no secret that Paris holds a very special place in my heart – As a young journalism student, this city offered me lots of “first taste”, for which I will always be grateful: my first outing in the Western world, my first serious journalistic prize, my first time at important cultural points such as Musée D'Orsay and Louvre, Versailles and Jardin Des Tuileries. My first time to see the works of my heroes, Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin...And many others.

Reading the news today, my heart skipped a beat. I’m truly speechless - and that doesn’t happen often.

While I mourn for the lives senselessly lost, I find that the hardest part is to keep myself composed and not give in to the despair that keeps building up after so many tragic events unfolded in just a day. Paris, Baghdad, Beirut – there is just too much sadness for one single day.

Today, I found it hard to keep smiling around my children, not wanting them to know yet just how much evil there is around the world.

Attacking unsuspecting, ordinary people as they go about their daily existence, be it on the street, in a restaurant or at a concert, is ultimately an act of cowardice meant to bring fear, despair and hatred. And if we give in and answer their hatred with hate, their attacks with fear and their war cries with despair, then they have won without us even putting on a fight.

As I am watching my 5yo playing and shining her flash light, I am projecting her image over the most peaceful places I haven known here, in my beloved grasslands. I am sending you all our wish for Peace and Love.

 

 

I am also watching the world lighting up for Paris, the City of Lights. Solidarity. What a beautiful word. And what beautiful gifts it brings. It brings the Love, the Hope and the Strength we all need for a better tomorrow. It brings us Unity.

To all my brothers and sisters of La Ville Lumiére, I’m going to say it the only way I can:

Je t’aime, Paris! Je t’aime de tout mon coeur et de tout mon âme et je promets d’ȇtre à tes côtés pour toujours. Je suis desolée pour ton chagrain; ton chagrain est aussi le mien.

 

 

About Frozen Magic, Frozen Fingers and Early Mornings

Some mornings are more challenging than I’d think. A tiny flicker of light is beckoning through the blinds at an ungodly hour, when even the Sun is still pondering whether to come out or not.  

And if I do choose to follow it, sometimes I need a reminder of why I leave that toasty, delicious warmth and my oh-so precious sleep and go out chasing morganas: because each morning is unique. And magic. A different kind of magic for each and every dawn. Cue Freddie Mercury, please. (In fact, please do listen to it while scrolling through my images – click here ). Any morning that starts with his songs is a great one, believe me. 

This morning it was frozen magic. With real frozen fingers I am afraid. In my rush to chase the light, I couldn’t find my gloves. But what a sight it was. The colours seemed to pop up even more, with the frost.

Thank Goodness for Sheep

Today it's all about sheep. It seems that the Grasslands have been infused with new life - every day these gentle creatures take over the grounds for a couple of hours. Then they disappear as quietly as they came in.
For a family surviving the School Holidays during moody weather, sheep are a God sent gift, alongside umbrellas, gumboots, ride on bikes and paper boats. And the fantastic light that every now and then comes out of nowhere and leaves me spellbound.