Paris again and Sweden

There's something about Paris and the Luxembourg Gardens that simply make me happy.  As soon as I arrive in Paris, I run over to the Gardens and just walk around until I find my favorite spots to sit and take in all the beauty.  

I just spent several days in Paris and though it had some difficult moments for me -- many reminders of being there when we were a family -- and this time I was alone, I found ways to enjoy most of my time there.  

It was definitely one of those AND experiences.  I love Paris, it makes me so happy to be there -- AND I wish I was in love or that my daughter, Zoe, had been able to come with me.  It's not a great place to be alone.  I still managed to enjoy myself and take some long, beautiful walks all over the city and see friends and eat lots of good food.

I also went up to Sweden for a job.  That was amazing!  Right up near the Arctic Circle to a city called Lulea.  It was a fantastic trip that came as a complete surprise.

As the character of the mother in my play says, "Life surprises."  I am grateful for most of the surprises that show up in my life.  And learning how to really be in the moment, helps so much.  (I'm still working on that).  

Lulea, Sweden.  July 2014

Allowing in the good

I am sitting in an apartment in Paris, looking out at the Seine, on the I'le de la Cite (minus the accent marks).  I am still trying to take in my good luck.  A few years ago, I felt that though I was grateful for many things, trips to Paris and soon Sweden, and recently London and Dublin, San Francisco and LA, and finding work that I love, and working with people I genuinely like and respect, and having my daughter close by, and living in SoHo again surrounded by wonderful neighbors, and slowly starting to date again -- I couldn't have imagined any of that was possible.  And yet....

I want to take these few moments before I leave this beautiful apartment in search of the perfect baguette and a long walk in the Luxembourg Gardens to give thanks...to take a deep breath and take all of this in.

I woke up this morning and looked out at the Place Dauphine, the beautiful little park that I can see from the bedroom.  The first thing I saw was two dogs playing together in the park -- one of them was a beagle.  You don't see too many beagles in Paris.  I am always thrilled when I see a beagle because I think of my beloved Lucy and Lola and I give thanks for them for saving me in the most difficult times.  When my mother was dying, when my family was falling apart, when I was in the middle of the horrible terrible divorce -- Lucy and Lola were there, giving me unconditional love every single day.  I miss them more than words can ever express. And I thank them for over 13 years of so much love and laughter.

I know that the world is always in crisis -- bad news happened yesterday in Israel with the killing of three young men.  And in the U.S. with the ridiculous Supreme Court ruling about birth control. But I do still believe that so much good happens every single day and we forget that in the overwhelming evidence of evil and stupidity.

So let's take a minute and think of all that we can be grateful for and then get back to the work of changing the world.