Over several summers, Tony and I used to rent a flat in Paris and stay for a month.
It was a dream come true.
We tried to live like Parisians though our patisserie and boulangerie budget was larger than most.
But we would walk up five flights of stairs, take le metro, walk and ride bikes everywhere. We had time to see the city so we paced ourselves, relaxing at sidewalk cafés and eating in parks alongside fountains.
On our third or fourth visit, we started to explore beyond Paris. Off to Giverny and Normandy or down to the south, to Lyon, to Nice.
Our days and nights in France were often planned~~a concert at St. Chapel or a visit to D-Day beaches; but more often than not, they weren't. Most of the time, we were content; sometimes we weren't, and those are the times we would hop on a bike from the rental rack and explore. Many nights we headed for Notre Dame. It was close and entertainment was guaranteed. We would just get out and ride up and down new streets and often find a hidden garden or a food gem. Like the time we found a cream puff shop.
Sometimes, I don't want to go out and take a walk, but I know I will find something delightful, curious, or profound.
Three-year-old Leo resists going on a walk, but I take him almost every day, for we will find something of interest.
One morning, it was a continual wave of birds flying overhead. They rallied into their V formation; some fell out of line, but it was a sky dance. Another morning we met the post woman Sondra. We found a kitty who wanted to play so bad. We found huge trees, their leaves shed months ago, that revealed a line of birds' nests. In spite of the chill, we discovered that spring was on its way in the soft pods bursting forth with magnolia flowers. We check it every day.
We find rain puddles, and sewage drains, and balls of moss. We listen to woodpeckers then come home and watch them gather acorns on a youtube video.
But today was special. In the one wooded lot without a house, we parked the stroller and walked a short path to the lake. We sat down on a large branch situated like a bench. I saw a turtle. We watched geese fly over head. Leo wondered why someone had put an old tire in the lake. I told him we would come back to clean up the little bit of trash that had settled on the shore. When he threw in sticks, we watched the circle ripples. We sat on the bench together, and we listened. We heard thunder and talked about how beautiful the earth was.
"The thunder is beautiful. The lightening is beautiful and the lightening bolts are beautiful." He was speaking of our beautiful earth, and he felt the beauty of the earth. When he spoke, our time together became sacred.
We need to get out. Whether it's Paris or a stroller ride around the neighborhood.
Comments