Life Can’t Live Alone

After a stormy Saturday, (see previous post), I was thinking about the french expression “Joie de Vivre”, and thought it strange that there is not a equivalent phrase to ‘Joie de Vivre’ in English.

The meaning of “joie de vivre” in English is ”the joy of living”, but in the American language, it lacks the energy and the happiness that is involved in the original that represents life, state of spirit, mind, attitude being present every second – things like that.

Look at the bird in yesterday’s photo, it was small and not very sharp, but I could see he was enjoying the moment.

Perhaps the 6-week vacation that the French are blessed with annually help the situation a little… Or maybe it’s the country with its culture, which values life as well as the ‘go ahead with life’… or maybe even a little bit more, and this is reflected the expression…

But back to the stormy Saturday here on our bay… After that, we had a ‘plage de temps’ (beach time) with the wonderful and welcome presence of Mister Sun. We cultivate our own ‘joie de vivre’ walking in the city parks, drawing out each and every one of the large and small pleasures this unique life offers.

Oh then, I had an “Aha moment …” Since we are in November, the month that America celebrates gratitude, appreciation… I offer the following:

I ‘discovered’ you can buy happiness, yes!

If you use your money the right way!

Not by buying shoes, clothes and things you don’t really need, but using it for ‘life’s experiences’ so-to-speak – taking a loved one to dinner, a special ride, a trip…

Spending on the experiences of life, satisfies much more, makes us much happier, much longer, and you also never get bored with the memories that they leave behind… Now with material things ….

Another “aha moment, kind of a ‘deja vu’, is that once again, I realize how much I need to stop being a perfectionist… What will happen will happen and neither I nor anybody else has immunity against it.

“Rest and be thankful.” William Wordsworth

Now raise your little hand, if you are old enough to remember the book about this bird called “Jonathan Seagull”. He discovered that boredom, fear and anger were the reasons that their lives were so short and with this thought he lived a long life…
(Richard Bach - JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL)

Near home, the symbol of our city, let’s get close, take pictures and don’t move.

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