A PERFECT DAY in a life….

Our dear friend Marsha Harris of Splenderosa is asking us to pick one of the 
best days of our life, for this month's "By Invitation Only" post.

The timing of this post is so perfect as I am living in a personal turmoil, having made some big (but very positive) changes in my professional life that will impact my work and my family.

For a moment, I will leave all worries and demands aside, take time out and relieve some synopsis of my life…flashbacks…moments of pure joy…moments of pure freedom…A vision of my children on the day of their birth flash immediately in front of my eyes, however I must pick one day, one day so perfect that it  ecapsulates the very best life can bring us.

Instantly a vision comes to me,  the sounds,  the colors, the scents, the humidity, the calm and heaviness of the air, a moment in time as far away from civilization and culture as I have ever experienced.

That glorious day started with my two children, husband Luke and myself waking up in the early hours of the morning to the sounds of chattering Proboscis monkeys, aboard a boat on a Kalimantan black water river, in the heart of the rainforest of Borneo's Tanjung Puting National Park. Writing these sentences,  transports me back ten years and I even now feel the pure moment of joy and elation as if I was experiencing the moment now, surrounded by so much life, serenity, beauty with the man and two boys I so intensely love.

We were alone (save our boat's captain and our guide of course) in a world about to vanish, and the awareness of that moment in time, the fragility of all the beauty surrounding us made this moment even more powerful. I had wanted for my children to understand how precarious all the world's beauty really is. My son Hadrian completed his sciences project, communicating with Seeswee, a beautiful orangutan whose life is in jeopardy due to the loss of habitat.

Living on the deck of our little boat

The amazingly beautiful, fast disappearing rain forest

 After  days and endless patience, Hadrian became close to Seswee, he made her a necklace which she proceeded to place around her neck, after watching him do so.

A bientôt,

Francine

Life is a challenge...

En route to visit with our Orangutan friends in Kalimatan, Borneo.Magnificent gift of nature.

Marsha, of Splenderosa, our coach of sorts, and inspirational motivator, challenges us every month with topics for discussion.

This month's Bio is: "Our greater challenge, and how it changes us for the better"

Well Marsha, you did pick a timely and on point subject, appropriate during this spiritual and religious time.

One of my favorite Hollywood movies is Forrest Gump and his powerful line: "Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you're gonna get."

Life in itself is a series of challenges, our path is to accept the challenges, have faith in God and ourselves, and embrace the changes ahead. In itself, this is a formidable challenge. I fear change, heights, unknown territories, meeting new people,  and because I suffer those fears I deliberately  throw myself into situations where I am compelled to face those fears, embrace the moment and emerge enriched by the experience. 

However, looking back at my life, my one greatest challenge was acceptance. Acceptance that there is more to this world and life than its obvious physicality and that we must believe in our spiritual being and God's love, would it be the wisdom of Buddha or any religion. In a flash, my life, my small world was shattered in front of my eyes on a crisp pure blue morning on September 11th. Writing these words, I can still hear the screams, the sounds of destruction, breath in the dust, stand in disbelief and horror as the towers crumbled before my eyes, not even thinking of running for cover. My perfect small world was over, friends gone forever, children without fathers or mothers. Instinctively,we all walked in silence... walked away until we reached the train station, and went to find refuge in my church. The core of my being so exposed and raw that the only solace I would accept was from God.

Then, I understood. I understood the meaning of life, the magical moments of life, the gift of being alive and I have never ever taken any day for granted. Every night, I look at the sky and every morning I thank God for his loving gift of life.

A Bientôt,

Francine

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