Sunday, April 30, 2017

Old Friends

 "Age  appears to be best in four things: old wood best to burn,
old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read." - Francis Bacon
Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. Francis Bacon
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/old_friends.html
Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. Francis Bacon
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/old_friends.html

We spent a lovely evening last night with our friend John. He and his late wife Linda have been our family friends long before I met and married Mike. When I began dating Mike we would be invited to Linda and John's yearly "Bloomsday party" which they held at the end of the school year in honor of the Irish author James Joyce. When video cameras first came out Mike bought one and videoed one of those Bloomsday parties in the late 1970's. Last night after dinner Mike surprised John with the dvd of that event. We watched our much younger selves enjoying a party long ago. In the video you hear Mike's voice saying to someone "Sometimes you capture ordinary events which don't seem to mean much but then years later they become very meaningful." How true that was for us last night. I truly miss my friend Linda but when I am with John in their home and especially last night viewing her on video I feel her presence ever so delightfully with us.







These photos epitomize wonderful days for John and Linda who traveled the world over. They thoroughly enjoyed each others company and were true kindred spirits.  They shared their love of life with all their friends. We all miss Linda so

1 comment:

guyscandlen@yahoo.com said...

This is an absolutely lovely tribute to Linda and John Stevens. (And to you and Mike, as caring friends and family.) It reminds me of a scene from "Our Town."

Emily, having passed and standing under her black umbrella in the cemetery, asks if anyone can ever go back. One of the others, tells her not to do it. Emily insists. So the other says "Then choose an ordinary day." Emily does. She chooses, I believe,her 12th birthday.

It is an ordinary day: Mother getting breakfast ready, the others in the family doing ordinary things. Then Emily observes: "How young mother looks." The ordinary morning continues.

Emily pleas: " Oh, Mama, just look ay me as though you REALLY saw me." Then she predicts her history. :But just for a moment now we're all together. Mama just for a moment we are all happy. Let's just look at one another."

She chooses to go back. "I can't. I can't go on. It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at each other......I didn't realise. So all that was going one and we never noticed."

Then she enumerates the little inconsequential items of daily life.

"Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anyone to realise you." (She turns to the Stage Manager and asks through her tears: "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? every, every minute?"

The Stages Manager: "No." (pause) "The saints and poets, maybe they do some."

Emily: "I'm ready to go back."

My point is: how wonderful that Mike was able to record a Bloomsday Celebration that - at the time - as just an ordinary yearly event.

But now it carries untold meaning for all of you (and us.)

Thank you for sharing.

She asks "Do any of us realize how

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