Sunday, August 4, 2013

Life and Death



I had lunch yesterday with a friend and sometimes client who is going to have a baby. I may or may not attend the birth, we're not sure yet, but we're working together to get her ready for the labor and birth, with some massage but also with a lot of talking. I realized yesterday I've accumulated a lot of knowledge about the birthing of babes, even though I never had one myself. I felt rather proud. The experience of attending births and working with pregnant women has yielded some wisdom I can now pass along. It was satisfying and strange.

After that I went to a memorial for one of my clients who died of cancer. Everyone loved Laurie, hence the church where the Hill Havurah meets was jammed with people. People spoke, we sang songs, there were a few tears, but mostly sweet stories about a very pure spirit. One of Laurie's daughters works for an interfaith organization based in Jerusalem where she lived for a couple of years. It was interesting to hear the stories of Laurie's trip to Israel, how eye opening it was for her, how she at last came to understand her daughter's passion for the place.

At lunch, both a bartender I only know slightly, and the person who brought the food, noticed and remarked on my tattoo. They said it was beautiful which is really weird because my tattoo is powerful, it is in your face, but beautiful? It is not beautiful.

Israel/Jerusalem is calling me. OK. But I don't want to go alone. And I also really really really want to go to Paris. And I really really really want to visit my friend in London. I'm getting a travel bug in my bonnet, it seems. Hmmm.

Meanwhile DC is truly SPLENDID. I can't believe it's so nice in August. This is Colorado weather. I love it!


8 comments:

ellen abbott said...

it is totally hot dry dog days August here. and what are those beautiful pink lilies?

Reya Mellicker said...

I don't know what they're called, but they are beautiful with the midday sun coming through the canopy.

Anonymous said...

I hope you can get to go to those places Reya- I would like to hear your perspective on them. Jerusalem is something I would like to experience for myself - the middle east is such a vexed place though.

Reya Mellicker said...

Vexed. Yeah.

Kerry said...

Those are 3 really distinct and different places. Israel seems to require its own separate trip. But maybe not, what do I know?

Glad to hear the beastliness of DC August weather is taking a break.

Reya Mellicker said...

Israel would be its own trip for sure!

But I think London and Paris are a natural match.

Anne said...

I would so enjoy being on those trips with you! That won't happen, not anytime soon. But I will be SO glad to hear about them! they will happen. I say so.

Washington Cube said...

They are Naked Lady lilies, and I wrote about them this week. During earlier parts of the summer, their foliage (at the base)disappears and only the stalks bearing flowers remain. An awful lot of people don't know this and keep planting them where that bareness shows (and the disappearing foliage=naked lady.) You are best off sinking them around evergreen things like ferns and hostas and pacysandra and such. I was going to plant several bundles of these throughout my yard and didn't get it to. There is a nursery in Connecticut where I can order them, so it will be a fall project.