Week 19

As I settle in, it gets harder to find things to write about. My practical challenges are pretty mundane these days. The entry phone for my apartment isn’t working but it hasn’t had much of an impact on me. My admin tasks are complete for now, and I’m getting the hang of when to turn on heaters in different rooms and when to just put on a sweater.

Life is simply in full swing here so, this week, I’m going to talk only about joy.

Joys

Belonging

I have always struggled with the concept of belonging. I think a lot of people do. I used to think it was a ‘done and dusted’ kind of thing. You found your people and your place and you simply belonged.

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that belonging is found in moments, not in permanence. The stranger who catches my eye and smiles as we pass on the street, the unexpected message I receive from a friend, even the moments where I feel a brief internal shift and really see myself. Slivers of connection.

Now, when I feel lonely, I focus on evidence of belonging here in Pézenas. The proprietor of the tea shop who already knows my order. The regulars at the café I go to most mornings, who have welcomed me to their table and patiently try to understand my side of the conversation. And that deep connection to who I’m becoming as a retiree living in France.

There is much joy in belonging.

Music

I love choral music and feel a particular thrill when I hear a capella music and perfect acoustics. Last weekend, I accompanied my neighbour to a choral concert in a chateau. It was a beautiful evening. I didn’t take photos of the choir, but did take one of the vaulted ceiling. I also recorded a brief clip of the choir as they made their entrance. You can listen here:

Music is so important, isn’t it? It can guide mood and define thought, it inspires and it conjures up memories both good and bad.

Song of the week

I’m going to start including a song in every blog, beginning this week with a beautiful rendition of Gordon Lightfoot’s Song For A Winter’s Night, sung by the wonderful Sarah McLachlan. Solid Canadian content, here.

It’s not quite winter on the calendar and there’s no snow in Pézenas, but this song brings to mind the friends and family I’m missing this Christmas. And it gives me pause to pray for those who are freshly grieving or whose grief has sharper edges because of the season.

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Photos

As always, photos bring me joy.

Christmas will be on full display throughout Pézenas this coming week, with parades and choirs and all manners of goodies. I’ll try to take some photos for next week’s blog.

À bientôt .