Poem

each one of us is a record.

our experiences are carved inside
inscribed cave paintings on our walls.
nothing
not
a
thing
is lost.
and each carries around with him with her
these records of living,
these heartbeats of their days.

you're building an epic poem, you are.
an epic poem, you are.

-11 July 2013
Bayonne France

Little by little, I'm starting to have these small realizations--tiny tiny changes in the way I view the world, God, and myself. They aren't significant to write down, just a small change in perspective here, a little opening of horizons there. But they're starting to stack up. I hope and maybe, by the end, they will have changed my very nature and rendered me a new, more lovely, more holy creature.

***

I have some funny stories this week. Mostly people are just really funny.

1. GRANDMA SKIRT
At the market I found this truly incredible skirt with pandas and rhinos and leopards on it. It is also pleated. Yep, awesome. So I hold it up, and the little market man (I think his name is Jacques) says, "No no no, you can't buy that. That skirt is for grandmas. Not for you. You can't buy it." Hahahaha, yep I bought it.

2. MI CASA ES TU CASA
We received a referral from a lady in Paris asking us to stop by one of her friends in Bayonne. We call up the fried--her name is Ester--and ask if we can stop by. She was super friendly and had a really thick Spanish accent. So we go over and she's really welcoming, sits us right down, tells us her whole life story, gives us big glasses of mango nectar, all the while talking in this rich, thick, super fast Spanish French. Then she's like, "Come, I want to show you something!" She takes us into the back room of her apartment and there's two couch/beds back there. She strats to explain how in thsi room it's too loud with the trains right next to the window, and so she prefers to sleep in the other room, but it isn't too bad at night because no trains go by, etc. All the while we're being so kind and interested in these sorts of details about this woman's life, asking her about the room and so on. Then she points to one bed and says, "So, you can sleep on that bed, and she can sleep on that bed! (pointing to Soeur Swenson)" Me: "Ummm...oh we actually have an apartment..." ?!? So turns out this whole time she thought we were coming over because we didn't have anywhere to stay in Bayonne, and so she was offering her house to us! We all had a really good laugh about that, and then we had a really good talk about church and God, and then she sent us on our way with the blessing that God be with us. We're going to see her again tonight.

3. MAN WALKING CAT ON LEASH

Saw it.