Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. —Marcel Proust
It’s Rachel’s birthday today. I picked her gifts thoughtfully, but mailed them in a flurry. If you’re reading this Marie Kondo, I’m beyond help (and your reproach for that matter). You may have organizational advice, but quite frankly, I need a cape. And I need it now. Forget about being faster than a speeding bullet, or leaping tall buildings in a single bound. I just wanna stretch hours in a day. I just wanna summon up a little more non-three a.m. quiet time. You know, time for the details, like writing Rachel’s birthday card.
Here’s what I’d say. Dear Rae,
Every time this year, I think about how much I hate proximity. We could celebrate so much better together. *The Bard said, “With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.” We’ve got mirth and laughter mastered, don’t we? I suppose the old wrinkles are comin. I’m surprisingly okay with that. If I have to age, I’m glad I get to grow older with an incomparable friend like you.
I have to say that for some time I’ve felt like a nightingale that has forgotten the song of my heart. In the fog of life, I can’t seem to recall the words. Thank you for singing my song back to me. Again and again. You are, in truth, the once-in-a-lifetime friend.
Happy Birthday girl! We’ve got lots more of these to look forward to. Love you, Tray
Maybe this blog is better than a cape. We have a lot to look forward to, don’t we? Like this month’s book club selection. Rachel and I chose The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. It’s a little-known Best Seller. I’ve given it away to nearly a dozen people, all of whom reported loving it.
Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, said this about our pick this month: “This is an amazing, inspiring and heartwarming story! It’s about harnessing the power not just of the wind, but of imagination and ingenuity. Those are the most important forces we have for saving our planet. William Kamkwamba is a hero for our age.” Like Rachel’s birthday cake, we can’t wait to dive in!
*Yes, I quoted William Shakespeare in your birthday note. I’m the eternal English major!