How I missed travelling! I have just returned from a first business trip in the last year.
I loved walking around beautiful medieval streets & squares of Firenze / Florence. I just wish I had more time. I didn't have enough available time to visit masterpieces of the Gallery Uffizi... so I hope to return there one day again.
Walking alone around the city centre and admiring the masterpieces that were left behind by a wealthy Medici family made me think - what will be my mark on the world?
I hope to still have plenty of time to figure this out.
But for now - what means a lot to me are the beautiful scarfs that I've just got from my mom's cousin's husband.
My mom's cousin was fighting cancer for many years. Once she asked me if I could bring her some books from a local library - she knew I love to read. I did bring her books and since I saw how much it meant to her, I visited her with new books many times for three years.
I loved visiting her and talking to her. She told me how much she appreciated my visits and the books I brought. She told me that most of the people disappeared from her life. Since people didn't know what to say they just stopped visiting / phoning.
She passed away this summer. I miss her!
I find it beautiful that her husband brought some scarfs to me... to have something hers to remember.
Me making my mom's cousin's final years more beautiful isn't something tangible to be seen in the centuries to come. But it really doesn't matter.... It only matters that my acts made her life nicer and my life richer.
Oh, bella Firenze! I'm really jealous. It is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, most people don't leave a mark on the world like the Medicis! But what a beautiful gift you gave to your mother's cousin - happiness and knowing she was cared for. It may not be tangible. But it is just as important, and what makes all the difference in someone's life. Brava!
Dear Klara,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you got to enjoy Firenze even if you didn't have that much time.
Your visits and the library books no doubt made a big difference to your mom's cousin. Thank you for doing that <3!
Oh I LOVE your pictures! Breathtaking!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to read about your friendship with your mom's cousin. I bet those visits were so much fun, just time that she could visit and talk about books with someone instead of thinking or talking about medical stuff. I'm glad you have some scarves of hers now. That is very special. The time spent together is invaluable. It's the intangible stuff that matters most.
Gorgeous story about generosity of spirit! Your ability to bring comfort and companionship warms my heart. Clearly this was reciprocated from your mom's cousin and her husband. Both are kind souls. About legacy, yes, I resonate with your searching...it's something I wrestle with now as well particularly given the past ~two years. Such unpredictable chaotic times we now inhabit. Meanwhile, you brightened my day knowing you were soaking up the sights and sounds of Florence and in your element traveling again. I look forward to joining you in the not too distant future. xx
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful - the pictures and the story! Many people who leave their mark on the world habitually miss the moment - and you met the moment with heart. For me these days it's all about now (and finally again, the future too!).
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