Beautiful photos from Normandy

I was away abroad for couple of days and did not check my personal email on my business laptop. So it was today when I got an email from Normandy, opened it, saw tons of beautiful photos and I just started to cry. I was so deeply touched by kindness of people that I don't even know in person. 

So dear Irouwen - thank you so much for taking all beautiful photos (my favourite are the ones that name of the uncle is seen, with a candle and flowers). 
And dear Kaymet - thank you for helping me finding Irouwen.  

Things like that make the world a beautiful place to live in. 

I can not wait to develop the photos and show them to my father-in-law on Saturday. 

*** 
There is one more thing that I feel I have to write down. Until now, in the blogging world, whenever one of my bloggie friends got a baby after dealing with infertility, I was happy for her, but always heart-broken for me. As part of self-preservation I just stopped following their blogs.  So I was deeply ashamed & happy at the same time, when I saw Kaymet's post:
http://unenfantpeutetre.wordpress.com/2014/03/22/de-caen-a-ljubljana/

You see, Kaymet is a mother of only few-months-old baby and yet she took time for helping me. 

And also Irouwen is a mother of little children. And yet she took time to visit Caen, found uncle's grave, lit him the first candle in 69 years and brought him beautiful flowers. 

I hope to meet Kaymet and Irouwen and their children one day. Those children are so lucky. They are born to mothers who have heart of gold. 

Why doesn't Klara have children?

I spent the last few days in Italy, visiting some clients. I was alone. I had really lovely time. The more I am discovering Italy, the more I love it. 

I have learned so much from Italians. For example: 
- only Italians know how to prepare the cappuccino
- extra virgin olive oil is essential part of every dish 
- the best dishes are very simple ones (photo was taken in summer: delicious bruschetta) 
- when you meet people you know, kisses are essential part of greeting 
- hanging out with family and friends is the most important part of life 


There is one hotel where I usually stay when being in Friuli Venezia Giulia. I feel like at home there. Recently I discovered that they have a nice jogging path close by. It is lovely to start the day by jogging! 

*** 
I was already in the office yesterday and my favourite coworker (few years younger, also childless-not-by-choice) told me about the lunch she had while I was absent.

There was group of coworkers that went to lunch together. And there was also one student (aged 26) that joined them. They were eating and then suddenly the student said: "I never asked Klara, but how come that she doesn't have children?". My favourite coworker just responded "I don't know." One another joked (I love him for this joke!) that she probably listened to another coworker who constantly complains what a hard work is having children and she decided not to have them. The others just looked at her at the odd way meaning like - can't you know what is appropriate to ask and what isn't. But the student didn't give up and kept asking how long had been Klara married already. And somebody just replied that for all detailed marital information she has to ask Klara :)

At the end of the lunch this stupid & rude student followed my childless coworker and she asked: "Well, I didn't ask you, how come that you don't have children?"

And my witty coworker just replied: "Well, you didn't ask." And with that she ended conversation.

***
My childless coworker told me this story yesterday evening, when we shared a bus ride back from the office. We laughed about it. It is good, when infertility doesn't hurt that much any more, when you can already laugh about it. 

Now I have some time to get prepared for some witty answer when the rude student decides to ask me directly. Ideas welcome :)

Chère Irouwen & chère Kaymet: Merci beaucoup de tout mon coeur!

I was deeply touched this morning when I discovered that one of my bloggie friends from France posted this on her blog: 
http://unenfantpeutetre.wordpress.com/2014/03/22/de-caen-a-ljubljana/

Somebody from France has seen it (and she happens to be a good photographer) and offered to visit the grave, lit one candle and take a photo. 

I have just written the first email in French in my life (I was learning French in high scool for 4 years, so I understand quite a lot, but I am not really able to speak), I sent coordinates of the grave. 

My father-in-law will be so happy. 

chère Irouwen & chère Kaymet,
merci beaucoup de tout mon coeur!

Klara

The hardest part about not having children

I read a guest blog post on Life without a baby yesterday:

http://lifewithoutbaby.com/2014/03/21/stories-tanja/

A wonderful interview! I felt like reading my answers few years ago. 

Especially I liked the answers to a question:  What’s the hardest part for you about not having children? Everything is so true for me (except number six).

Happy

I am two days late, but anyway.

http://time.com/31956/international-happiness-day-pharrell-dances/

I love the videos (I even spent some time dancing alone in our living room yesterday evening and today in the morning, it felt good). There are so many cities that I wish to visit one day.... 

Home, full of children's laughter (but only for 2 hours)

This is a photo of our table, taken yesterday. Yes, our living room was yesterday full of children's laughter and fun for two hours. It was lovely. 

I finished work early. And then I had my best friend's kids for two hours (aged 6 and 8). Our schedule was like this: 
1. half an hour of doing homework 
2. cycling to local bakery and each of us choose one delicious cake
3. eating a cake at home (them: in 2 minutes, me: in 5 minutes)
4. one hour of doing homework

The best compliment that I got was from the little girl. At the end I asked them if they want to repeat this in the future again. They both immediately said yes. I was glad, so I said that I will arrange with their mother in 14 days time or perhaps in 3 weeks time. Then the little girl immediately responded: "I want in 14 days!". I wasn't really sure if a child of 6 years understands what comes before: 14 days or 3 weeks. But the little girl is clever, she knows :)  

The kids enjoyed drinking tee from our cups with the photo of our beloved Wolf (otherwise they are afraid of dogs). When outside we met neighbors' dog (that resembles my Wolf). The boy asked me later if the dog has had any babies (he used this word). I said no. He asked, if she would have any babies. And I said no. His eyes got surprised and sad and he asked: "But why not?".   (just a note: when I was his age and also much older, I was also very sure that every living creature has babies). What a difficult question to answer. 
I explained that the dog is mixed breed, that she has one of the best homes possible (the owners really adore her), but if she had pups, it would be difficult to find good homes for them, because  a lot of people do not want dogs like that, so it is better that she does not have pups. 

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*** 
Those two children are for me a symbol of how long, hard and painful my path of infertility was. When I learned that their mother is pregnant, my heart was crushed. When they were born, my heart was broken. The first few years when seeing my friend with the little ones, were really hard. 

But now I am OK. I am glad that they are here. And I am glad that they are mine, even if only once in a while.  

Missing beloved Wolf

There were two pair of gloves in the box for dirty clothes, waiting to be washed from October on. I used them in winter or sometimes on cold mornings when walking beloved Wolf.  

The gloves were the only thing left that still had a smell of him. I wasn't ready to wash them until yesterday. Now they are dry already, so I kissed them, said goodbye and put them in the drawer. So sad!

With my beloved Wolf I learned how short and precious life is.   

My favourite post all times is this one: 
http://thenext15000days.blogspot.com/2012/02/master-of-living-in-moment-meet-wolf.html 

Yes, he really was the Master of Living in a Moment.

I miss him terribly. 


PS: the photo was taken in the nort-west of my country, the lake is in the middle of the national park. If / when you wish to learn more about the lake, I will be happy to tell you more:   klara.soncek (at) gmail.com