Far away friends
Hello lovelies,
As most of you know, my family and I took a few months overseas towards the end of last year. During our trip, which was mostly in Europe, we met up with friends that we don't see very often. Now I am not so good at keeping in touch with friends from afar (or even those close by for that matter, oops, sorry) but tend to try instead to give my focus to those who are appearing before me which is usually my kids, husband, extended family, neighbours, students and friends from the Buddhist centre because I show up there often. Of course there are also people from the school community, those I bump into often in the street, at the beach and shops and anyone who happens to walk by and look like they are up for a chat. Like most of us, this group keeps me busy enough and everyone else, all of those old mates and friends overseas, I hold in a special place in my heart until we meet again. It's like there is a precious universe held in my mind and my heart containing all of these wonderful people and wishing for their happiness even when we are not in close contact.
Anyway, while we were in France we visited a friend south of Paris in a city called Limoges. Genevieve and I worked together many years ago at Qantas but our friendship quickly extended beyond work. Many years ago she moved to New Zealand and has since relocated again to France where she was originally from and where most of her lovely family still live. So we had not been in touch very much at all for well over ten years, only exchanging the odd e-mail or card and seeing each other once every few years for a quick meal when she was visiting Sydney. But she was held there in that universal heart and certainly not forgotten.
We arrived in Limoges in our camper van and parked it in the city street outside the apartment she shares with her new man, Vincent, and there she was leaning out of the upstairs window with a big smile on her face and her hand waving. We were ushered inside, given our own upper floor to get comfortable in and as the boys, including her very generous and hospitable partner, went out for a kick around at the local park, Genevieve and I caught up in the kitchen as she prepared dinner and I drank wine and pretended to help.
We all shared a great meal that night, lots of laughs and a good, comfortable sleep which can never be underestimated when you are travelling. The same sorts of things happened the next day with a bit of touristing around the town and another delicious meal of local specialties and great conversation. The next day our friends sent us off with special foods and had even given us a farewell gift. Their generosity was great.
We had driven for about an hour out of Limoges into the French countryside with a detailed itinerary prepared by Vincent when I found myself with tears running down my cheeks (luckily I wasn't driving). I was thinking about how it felt to walk through the streets of Limoges with my arm hooked through hers and heads close together as we talked and of all of the threads of conversation that we started and didn't get to finish and wouldn't. Part of me was wishing that we lived close by each other and how we would be able to connect like this all the time and be there to listen to one another and offer our opinions or advice or just laugh together.
After a while I took a deep breath and let my dear friend just be in that magical place in my heart and mind until we meet again.
We had similar experiences throughout our trip of wonderful, kind and generous friends, old and new, whom we left a little sadly but with great love. Thanks to all of you and to that whole precious world of people that fills my heart. I may not be on Facebook or Skype or whatever but in some ways we are never far apart.
Love, love, love Kerry.
As most of you know, my family and I took a few months overseas towards the end of last year. During our trip, which was mostly in Europe, we met up with friends that we don't see very often. Now I am not so good at keeping in touch with friends from afar (or even those close by for that matter, oops, sorry) but tend to try instead to give my focus to those who are appearing before me which is usually my kids, husband, extended family, neighbours, students and friends from the Buddhist centre because I show up there often. Of course there are also people from the school community, those I bump into often in the street, at the beach and shops and anyone who happens to walk by and look like they are up for a chat. Like most of us, this group keeps me busy enough and everyone else, all of those old mates and friends overseas, I hold in a special place in my heart until we meet again. It's like there is a precious universe held in my mind and my heart containing all of these wonderful people and wishing for their happiness even when we are not in close contact.
Anyway, while we were in France we visited a friend south of Paris in a city called Limoges. Genevieve and I worked together many years ago at Qantas but our friendship quickly extended beyond work. Many years ago she moved to New Zealand and has since relocated again to France where she was originally from and where most of her lovely family still live. So we had not been in touch very much at all for well over ten years, only exchanging the odd e-mail or card and seeing each other once every few years for a quick meal when she was visiting Sydney. But she was held there in that universal heart and certainly not forgotten.
We arrived in Limoges in our camper van and parked it in the city street outside the apartment she shares with her new man, Vincent, and there she was leaning out of the upstairs window with a big smile on her face and her hand waving. We were ushered inside, given our own upper floor to get comfortable in and as the boys, including her very generous and hospitable partner, went out for a kick around at the local park, Genevieve and I caught up in the kitchen as she prepared dinner and I drank wine and pretended to help.
We all shared a great meal that night, lots of laughs and a good, comfortable sleep which can never be underestimated when you are travelling. The same sorts of things happened the next day with a bit of touristing around the town and another delicious meal of local specialties and great conversation. The next day our friends sent us off with special foods and had even given us a farewell gift. Their generosity was great.
We had driven for about an hour out of Limoges into the French countryside with a detailed itinerary prepared by Vincent when I found myself with tears running down my cheeks (luckily I wasn't driving). I was thinking about how it felt to walk through the streets of Limoges with my arm hooked through hers and heads close together as we talked and of all of the threads of conversation that we started and didn't get to finish and wouldn't. Part of me was wishing that we lived close by each other and how we would be able to connect like this all the time and be there to listen to one another and offer our opinions or advice or just laugh together.
After a while I took a deep breath and let my dear friend just be in that magical place in my heart and mind until we meet again.
We had similar experiences throughout our trip of wonderful, kind and generous friends, old and new, whom we left a little sadly but with great love. Thanks to all of you and to that whole precious world of people that fills my heart. I may not be on Facebook or Skype or whatever but in some ways we are never far apart.
Love, love, love Kerry.
Comments
Post a Comment