Frost and decay in my canal-side garden. Click photos to view detail.
Hello again and welcome to my woefully-neglected blog! Yes, it's been over two months since my last post. In the interim, I hosted a memorial dinner for David in London; spent three weeks in the US visiting my family (alas, my Mom is seriously ill) and traveled to Stockholm to ring in the new year.
Stockholm is a place I'd never been and where I knew no one. In November, my daughter and I went through boxes of papers at my parents' house and found a letter I'd written at age 13. I described flying on my own to Chicago (where I was met by my parents' friends): "I was afraid to board the plane, but I did it anyway." And that, my friends, is the story of my life. "Feel the fear, but do it anyway." I was anxious about traveling to Stockholm on my own, but I did it anyway. And I'm glad I did, because snow-covered Stockholm is a beautiful city. I crossed many bridges there, which I consider a metaphor for positive changes in 2016.
These last few months I've been trying to adapt to life without David. Obviously, I feel enormous sadness and the tears still flow. But there also are moments when I think of him and our time together and smile and even laugh. In Stockholm, I went to an historic church and lit a candle in David's memory. Throughout these dark months of missing David and worrying about my Mom's health, I have never stopped looking for the light. And I always find it, sometimes in the most unexpected places.
I hope that 2016 shines brightly for you and yours!
Beauty is all around us, if we take time to notice.
Reflections in a table at the stunningly-beautiful Stockholm City Hall. The dinner honouring Nobel Prize laureates is held in this architectural wonder every December.
Back soon, with more photos. Speaking of photos, I started posting images on Instagram. You can find me here.