FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

God hears a sob better than a call.

Me too! I thought of Verlain's poem as well! I, too, had to memorize Chanson d'automne for my French class.

Kristi my Angel,
Of course I am reading between the lines as
all mothers do - I am so sorry you are full
of sadness and pain at the beginning of the
holidays. This should be a joyous time for
all of us - next year I will spend Christmas with you - somehow this will happen. Hold that thought in your mind and
heart and we will repeat your wonderful Christmas's of childhood. Start collecting
pine cones and pheasant feathers for the tree.

XOXO

MOM

Hi Kristin,
Ah, I know the feeling so well...my daughter is a freshman in college, my son a junior in high school....where has the time gone? I am excited on the one hand to see them grow and mature, but am at times swept over by sadness of time passing. But I suppose these feelings are part and parcel of being a parent. I am reminded of the lyrics to Joni MItchell's song "The Circle Game":

Yesterday a child came out to wonder
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a star

Then the child moved ten times round the seasons
Skated over ten clear frozen streams
Words like, when you're older, must appease him
And promises of someday make his dreams

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and dawn
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game.

Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now
Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town
And they tell him,
Take your time, it won't be long now
Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and dawn
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur
Coming true
There'll be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty
Before the last revolving year is through.

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

I think G-d often *does* hear us better when we call to Him through a sob. And if we go one better-- choosing to praise and give Him glory even when our hearts are breaking-- He delivers us in hugely obvious ways that shout, This could only have been the hand of G-d! [I'd love to give some of my personal examples, but I believe I may have used a greater amount of space than is customary, already. :)] When we trust Him in spite of everything we can see in the natural, He honors our faith and in so doing, brings honor to Himself.

I used to have my students recite this poem to work on their nasals!!! Chanson d'Automne of course. Janine Cortell

Oh Kristin, I do sooo get it. But take heart, you may eventually stop building Lego, sneaking bikes into bedrooms, taking bites out of bikkies (cookies) at 1 in the morning, so it looks like Santa was hungry. But although the pressies change they are still your kids and they still want to gather around the tree, or whatever the family tradition is.

I keep the traditions going, especially the silly family ones, and even thought there is some 'eye rolling' when I wave the Christmas Carol CD in their faces on December 1st, we have great times, they are just different. My 21year old and I are both busy working and she called today to make at date to go Christmas shopping with me in a couple of weeks.... you can't do better than that. I hope your winter Christmas is wonderful. As for us, it's Summer down here so lazing in the garden is on the menu All the best Chris

Perhaps Augustine could have added, "et Dieu embrasse ceux qui fait."

As we approach this season of expectation and hope, that for many is anything but, I wish for you Kristin, (and for all of us) the sense that we are being held and upheld by God and each other. Happy Thanksgiving; we give thanks for you!

Newforest,

You are so cool, thank you for arriving in
Kristi's life.

XOXO

JULES

Kristin--To catch the sentimental sky--so, so lovely. And mysterious. ps good grief, be glad you're in france. right now there's a "holiday special" on tv--a replaying of an old andy williams special. it's bad enough i watched it in 1970, or whatever . . .
cheers, eve