mighty hearts knit as one
Happiness is a direction, not a place. - Sydney J. Harris
we picked pumpkins last night. i chose a plump bumpy charlie brown round one with a good twisty stem. dan chose a picture perfect smooth one with a thick stem. then we chose a third, oval and lean one with a hefty stem to mix it up a bit. we perched them on our porch steps in the darkness. i smiled with our tradition and the random luck that our pumpkin procrastination brought us a 50% discount.
together we took a moonlit walk in scarves and fleece zip ups and chatted away. with our demanding schedules, we haven't had much d+m time as of late, so it was nice to get back to the 'norm' once again. we actually sat down for dinner and bundled in quilts to view a movie on our newly acquired big screen (thanks, amy). to most, it's probably just a medium screen at 32 inches, but compared to our old 19 inch, it's a giant, dwarfing our tiny tv table. i've been (somewhat shamefully) coveting a new tv and already added the item to our 'will buy when law school is over' list which (as most lists do) help my cravings subside. luckily this big baby landed in our laps thanks to families who are movin' out the old and hanging up the new, flatter, sleeker version.
we rented A Mighty Heart, a movie that i've been intrigued to see and interested in ever since an interview with oprah opened my eyes toward the subject. mariane pearl was featured a few years ago and i sunk into her heart-wrenching story. i am mesmerized by mariane's strength and courage while undergoing a nightmare ordeal of losing her husband, danny in 2002 after he was kidnapped in pakistan. the couple worked as traveling journalists, reporting stories others were too afraid to tell. they lived a life together that not many would brave; living in cities crawling with suspicion.
mariane wrote a memoir detailing her experience while also carrying their first baby. read her riveting words here. this past year, brad pitt produced the movie to spread mariane's story to a wider audience. the gorgeous jolie portrays pearl beautifully. interview with mariane and jolie. i found myself lost in her deep eyes as she hoped for her character's husband to return. i can only think, how would i react in that situation? could i be calm in search of my husband in a strange city? how could i move forward? who would i turn to? who would i trust in such strange circumstances? mariane's story is one that has me thinking.
seeing new things, traveling on airplanes, reading from new perspectives all broaden my scope and make me realize all that i have. it makes me realize what i (thankfully) don't have. it makes me realize what truly matters (like the hand i was holding last night) and what doesn't (like the size of the tv i own).
it makes me thankful for my life, the simple, every dayness of it. the day to day details that are so hard not to take for granted because they are just 'the norm'. how grateful i should be for the norm. for the rules, the laws that keep us safe. the families that surround us and support who we are. the familiar feeling we have when we step outside our doors and into our neighborhoods. the small friendly gestures from strangers. the smiles from children. the knowledge that most people are good. most people are trustworthy. most people are understanding. how glad i am to live in a life that is simple and stable; for i know it could happen to any one of us, that our lives as we know it could crumble and we'd be left with little but the essentials to lean on.
together we took a moonlit walk in scarves and fleece zip ups and chatted away. with our demanding schedules, we haven't had much d+m time as of late, so it was nice to get back to the 'norm' once again. we actually sat down for dinner and bundled in quilts to view a movie on our newly acquired big screen (thanks, amy). to most, it's probably just a medium screen at 32 inches, but compared to our old 19 inch, it's a giant, dwarfing our tiny tv table. i've been (somewhat shamefully) coveting a new tv and already added the item to our 'will buy when law school is over' list which (as most lists do) help my cravings subside. luckily this big baby landed in our laps thanks to families who are movin' out the old and hanging up the new, flatter, sleeker version.
we rented A Mighty Heart, a movie that i've been intrigued to see and interested in ever since an interview with oprah opened my eyes toward the subject. mariane pearl was featured a few years ago and i sunk into her heart-wrenching story. i am mesmerized by mariane's strength and courage while undergoing a nightmare ordeal of losing her husband, danny in 2002 after he was kidnapped in pakistan. the couple worked as traveling journalists, reporting stories others were too afraid to tell. they lived a life together that not many would brave; living in cities crawling with suspicion.
mariane wrote a memoir detailing her experience while also carrying their first baby. read her riveting words here. this past year, brad pitt produced the movie to spread mariane's story to a wider audience. the gorgeous jolie portrays pearl beautifully. interview with mariane and jolie. i found myself lost in her deep eyes as she hoped for her character's husband to return. i can only think, how would i react in that situation? could i be calm in search of my husband in a strange city? how could i move forward? who would i turn to? who would i trust in such strange circumstances? mariane's story is one that has me thinking.
seeing new things, traveling on airplanes, reading from new perspectives all broaden my scope and make me realize all that i have. it makes me realize what i (thankfully) don't have. it makes me realize what truly matters (like the hand i was holding last night) and what doesn't (like the size of the tv i own).
it makes me thankful for my life, the simple, every dayness of it. the day to day details that are so hard not to take for granted because they are just 'the norm'. how grateful i should be for the norm. for the rules, the laws that keep us safe. the families that surround us and support who we are. the familiar feeling we have when we step outside our doors and into our neighborhoods. the small friendly gestures from strangers. the smiles from children. the knowledge that most people are good. most people are trustworthy. most people are understanding. how glad i am to live in a life that is simple and stable; for i know it could happen to any one of us, that our lives as we know it could crumble and we'd be left with little but the essentials to lean on.
once i peek into another land and see the differences of cultures, i can also see the familiarity between us. for instance, viewing children across the world, i realize the universal factor of a mother's love. it seems to remain significant and similar throughout the globe. there are so many elements that pull us apart in this world. yet the strength of one woman made me think of the wonders that really do thread us together.
like paper dolls on a string.
i'll hold onto you if you hold on to me.
like paper dolls on a string.
i'll hold onto you if you hold on to me.
10 comments:
Beautifully said, M. You are such a gifted writer. LOVED this.
ooh, got a little teary towards the end there. It's funny how those little bits of life add up to such wonderfulness that's so easily passed by. And it's always a grand feeling when something as commonplace as a movie (or a blog post) reminds you to look up and be thankful for it all. Thanks for the reminder. :)
I love your way with words. Thank you for writing.
you really have a way with words.
now i really want to see that movie, its ashame it didn't do that well.
eloquently put ..... thank you for writing this!
so touching!
What a very beautiful post. Thanks.
In our wonderful free land, our neighbors go to work every day as firefighters, teachers, shop owners... and their collective efforts make a beautiful life for all of us. It's good to remember how dependent we are on each other and how many people it takes just to put together our orange juice in the morning. Beautiful post.
You have such an eloquent way of writing, but also of seeing, noticing and appreciating. I love reading your words.
Such a lovely post :-)
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