21 replies to this topic

[thismoment]

They say home is where the heart is, and they say it's where you hang your hat. But perhaps Robert Frost said it best-- "Home is where when you've got no place else to go-- they've gotta take you!" But let me add that home is where hearts warm, where you won't be judged; an agonizing never-ending journey is often born from a solitary judgement.

I feel at home here, and I've missed you all!

Yesterday I stood outside the steamy window of a 'Coffeeshop' in Amsterdam, thinking I might go in for a smoke. But I was at home within my consciousness and had no desire to create another. When we're struggling we often perceive our mind state as an appendage rather than simply who we are in that moment. I walked on beside the canal.

The train ride west through the Dutch and Belgian countryside was gray and leafless green, the fast train nearly silent. In a couple of hours the town of Ypres emerged, its tall church steeples visible for miles in advance. The cobblestone and brick street feels firm and strong. Ypres is sturdy with its grand churches and rock streets that belie a historical psyche cast in the horror of war! The buildings are solid, stone, level, and plumb when compared to the organic riot that is Amsterdam with its overwhelmed infrastructure and teetering architecture that appear to have been erected by two staggering and disparate historical figures-- the prolific and slap-dash Van Gogh himself and the fantastic and impossible Dr. Seuss!

You can leave your heart in Amsterdam.

The sun will rise in a couple of hours, and it's Christmas Eve morning! Precisely 100 years ago today the Christmas Truce of 1914 happened just down the street and spontaneously at a dozen or more places along the Western Front. The juxtaposed weary and terrified Christian armies of men and boys stepped out of the trenches, crossed No-Man's-Land and said "Merry Christmas!" Joyous Noel, O Tannenbaum, Away in a Manger. They shook hands, shared a drink and a smoke, kicked a soccer ball around, laughed, joked, and wished each other good health and long life! The peace lasted through Christmas Day, and a day or two longer in some places.

But the following day they killed each other.

It's magic here this morning-- the wind has come up and the street lamps quiver. I simply could not miss this moment in time-- Ypres, The Truce, Flanders just down the road. We gather, incredulous humans dumbfounded by such monumental historical stupidity-- a lesson that continues to elude us.

Thousands will gather in the square for The Last Post this evening. It will be home, a warming of hearts, an ignition of spirit.

Merry Christmas my friends!

[ZappAlta]

What a lovely read --Thank you for thinking of us all

[FiveNotions]

ThisMoment, welcome home!!! Oh how we've missed you, needed you!!! With you and Fishinghat gone / away, there have been two gaping holes in this place ... and in our hearts .... you're both back now ... and yep, I'm crying ... tears of joy just streaming down my face ...

I'll have to re-read what you wrote later, I know it's beautiful and poignant, but my excitement at your return makes anything except "happy dances" and tears of joy impossible...
 

[gail]

Thismoment,

My two wishes are fulfilled. You and FH here again.

So, miracles do happen! So glad to see that name of yours, and looking forward to read and hear your words of wisdom.

I have missed you so much! ♥

[fishinghat]

Now this is a Christmas present!!!  A big man-hug to you TM and welcome home.

 

Merry Christmas

[TryinginFL]

Welcome, welcome home, ThisMoment!  It must be that "woman" thing, but I have tears rolling down my face, as I am so happy to see you back!

 

I enjoyed this writing so much - it was poignant and informative and so YOU...  I have missed your words of wisdom!

 

Yes, this is your home - we have all wished for your return - and here you are!  Merry Christmas, our dear friend!

 

Liz

[FiveNotions]

I just re-read your post, TM, and it is beautiful. I'm going to make a copy of it to read to a dear friend of mine in a nursing home when I go to spend Christmas day with him ... he made a solo bicycle tour of Europe in 1948, and went there, he says it's one of his favorite places (and at age 101, he's been to a lot off places) ... he's a former English Lit. professor at U Michigan, and will appreciate your fine writing ability ....

 

And fess up, what other "excellent adventures" have you been having while "on vacay" from us?

[brzghoff]

thismoment,

 

such touching prose! welcome "home".

 

thank you so much for sharing, you are truly missed. what a journey you've taken and what a wonderful way to spend christmas. thank you so much for sharing.

 

peace my friend,

 

brz

[FiveNotions]

‘I shall never forget it’: 100 years since WWI Christmas truce
http://www.foxnews.c...tcmp=latestnews

[thismoment]

Thank you ZA, Gail, FH (big man-hug!), Liz (TFL), Brzghoff, and thank you FN for the kind words and the link to The Christmas Truce of 1914.

Last evening at Menen Gate in Ypres-- Christmas Eve-- The Last Post rang out as it does at 2000 (8pm) on every day of 2014. Bugles, bagpipes, reverence. A modest attendance of several hundred souls stood solemnly in the cool night and quietly reflected: Between 1914 and late 1917, a quarter of a million men and boy soldiers died right here! At the end of the madness they dispatched a fleet of trucks to retrieve the tons and tons of soldier bones-- like the mule trains of the bone-pickers piling the endless heaps of Buffalo skeletons to be burned on a Texas plain inside some Cormac McCarthy nightmare.

I so honor and profoundly respect those soldiers who did what I undoubtedly could not do! Thank you for your service; thank you for your sacrifice.

Today is Christmas, and today is about both giving and withholding-- the giving of patience, compassion, sustenance, and love. The withholding of comment, segregation, and judgement.

I wish you gratitude for all that you have that is good. And beyond gratitude there is peace. This journey has filled my heart and soothed my cynical soul; I have come to embody the overflowing cup metaphor Christians often quote, and that's a quantum leap for a pathetic heathen such as I.

Merry Christmas from the site of the Christmas Truce of 1914!

[Clara]

Hugs to you Thismoment! So happy you are back! Enjoy your journey!

[gail]

They say home is where the heart is, and they say it's where you hang your hat. But perhaps Robert Frost said it best-- "Home is where when you've got no place else to go-- they've gotta take you!" But let me add that home is where hearts warm, where you won't be judged; an agonizing never-ending journey is often born from a solitary judgement.
I feel at home here, and I've missed you all!
Yesterday I stood outside the steamy window of a 'Coffeeshop' in Amsterdam, thinking I might go in for a smoke. But I was at home within my consciousness and had no desire to create another. When we're struggling we often perceive our mind state as an appendage rather than simply who we are in that moment. I walked on beside the canal.
The train ride west through the Dutch and Belgian countryside was gray and leafless green, the fast train nearly silent. In a couple of hours the town of Ypres emerged, its tall church steeples visible for miles in advance. The cobblestone and brick street feels firm and strong. Ypres is sturdy with its grand churches and rock streets that belie a historical psyche cast in the horror of war! The buildings are solid, stone, level, and plumb when compared to the organic riot that is Amsterdam with its overwhelmed infrastructure and teetering architecture that appear to have been erected by two staggering and disparate historical figures-- the prolific and slap-dash Van Gogh himself and the fantastic and impossible Dr. Seuss!
You can leave your heart in Amsterdam.
The sun will rise in a couple of hours, and it's Christmas Eve morning! Precisely 100 years ago today the Christmas Truce of 1914 happened just down the street and spontaneously at a dozen or more places along the Western Front. The juxtaposed weary and terrified Christian armies of men and boys stepped out of the trenches, crossed No-Man's-Land and said "Merry Christmas!" Joyous Noel, O Tannenbaum, Away in a Manger. They shook hands, shared a drink and a smoke, kicked a soccer ball around, laughed, joked, and wished each other good health and long life! The peace lasted through Christmas Day, and a day or two longer in some places.
But the following day they killed each other.
It's magic here this morning-- the wind has come up and the street lamps quiver. I simply could not miss this moment in time-- Ypres, The Truce, Flanders just down the road. We gather, incredulous humans dumbfounded by such monumental historical stupidity-- a lesson that continues to elude us.
Thousands will gather in the square for The Last Post this evening. It will be home, a warming of hearts, an ignition of spirit.
Merry Christmas my friends!

Thismoment, we so miss your words of wisdom. We so miss you.

For those of you that don't know Thismoment, and wish to, take a look in the archives for his articles. You will love this person. He comes back once in a while. Not often enough.

[fishinghat]

Oh you are so right Gail. he was/is such a blessing for us. He had a way of putting things in perspective that was also reassuring. What a gem.

[TryinginFL]

Just reading that quote made me teary. I miss him too!

[fishinghat]

Hey, it is Liz!!!

 

My long lost sister!!!

 

Hi Liz. How is it going?

[TryinginFL]

Morning all!

I'm still here...doing ok but guess I haven't had much to say

Spent Christmas alone which was quite depressing. Paulie is coming Jan 3 and will be here about 4 days -that will be our Christmas!!

[gail]

Hi Liz,

So so good to see you, we miss you so so much!

How wonderful of you to drop by. I hope to see you more often, a word here and there would be nice. The visit from Paulie means that you will be cooking different cookies. This should brighten up your mood, plus Max will be so happy to have a man to share his brandy and cigars and his love stories. I love you.

[fishinghat]

Hi Liz

 

That is the day before I meet my new psych dr. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I sure do go through a lot of them. This is number 8!!!   lol

 

Enjoy Paulie's visit.

[gail]

Fishinghat, you seem to change so often. Each time, you need to show them the ropes,lol!

Why this change this time, are you driving them nuts or what?

[TryinginFL]

Hi Gail!

I won't be baking much as it is hard for me to stand any length of time but I did find a 3 ingredient recipe for shortbread - I have made it once and Max just loves it!!

Speaking of Max, he wants to be sure to say hello to Sid for him....He really misses him

He is looking forward to seeing Paulie and Craig will be coming down in Feb!

[TryinginFL]

PS I am going to check into getting more shots from my pain management Dr. They really help the fibromyalgia!

[fishinghat]

Gail, my last psychiatrist retired. That is the third one to retire while under their care. I guess I drove them out of the business. lol