(photo P Volker)
siege – a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling the surrender of those inside.
Yea, that’s the traditional idea but this 2020 version has it’s own particular twists and turns. Well, how is everyone doing so far? It’s early on, right? Lots of stuff to figure out yet but we are educating ourselves and getting the hang of hunkering down. We will come up with some creative and wild ways of coping before this is over I am sure.
The Italians with their balcony musicals are a hoot. And don’t forget their moments of gratitude for their hard pressed medical workers. We will develop our own unique style here too. So far I’ve seen a lot of helpful info on FaceBook about online line courses, tours and museum grade coloring books. OK, excellent start!
We at the ranch here have been gleaning the fields of On Demand for treasures in their free movie department. It is kind of like going to a second hand store to see what you can discover. Two evenings ago we found “Downsizing” which we had never seen. That is with Matt Damon. I always thought that it was a comedy but it is not and has some great poignant content. Not that comedy can’t be good. Yea, and free.
The theme is “staying behind” to help. Cris has been on this theme since our present virus challenge has started, that she saw opportunity in it. She sees opportunity to help others in it, that it is not all about self preservation. That’s our Cris!
Then last evening we found “The Malta Story” with Alec Guinness, black and white, filmed in 1953. It is a about the siege of the Maltese Islands by the Fascist Germans and Italians in 1943. Malta along with the British military was largely responsible for cutting the supply lines to the Axis Powers assault on North Africa forcing them to withdraw. Malta suffered massive and continued bombing and it’s supply lines were cut to nothing to a point of a few days to starvation. But the Maltese persisted like they have done through their long history, tough folks.
So back to the siege topic that we started with, if I may. We are obviously in different times with a totally different situation than the Maltese but maybe there are things to learn. Maybe helping is essential. Maybe solidarity is essential. Maybe keeping calm is essential. Maybe self control is essential. Maybe hard decisions are essential. Maybe smiles and compassion are essential.
keep it together, keep us together loves, Felipé.
Dear Phil,
Today and yesterday too, I spent a lot of time in facebook, I am not usually very active in the facebook but somehow, these days, I feel a need to look out and see how my fellows are doing… Today, a couple who hosted me in their B&B in Ireland when I was there in 2017, posted a link from a priest from the west of Ireland to pray the rosary online this afternoon, and while I normally don’t pray the rosary, I saw a very moving image of Pope Francis walking in the deserted streets of Rome, with a rosary in his hands, and I felt I needed to join him, and these other people in Ireland.
Let me tell you: It was so powerful.
Somehow, I had this feeling of connection, something that was keeping us all together, as if each of us would be a bean in the rosary… and some external force would be the thread… powerful.
But that wasn’t the only powerful thing, this priest, that I already love without even knowing him, said something super powerful: he said that “this is probably going to be the best Lent of our lives”. And he made this point that if we ever thought about a “sacrifice”, something “to give up”, something that “truly cost us”, and if we would be doing this with a deep sentiment of “offering in suffering for a greater and lasting Good”, we could do all that the Coronavirus crisis is asking for us. That would be our “offering”. And I thought it was so powerful, so on point, so REAL. It made me thought on a phrase of Thomas Merton, who wrote referring to Christmas, that God comes “uninvited” because “there is no room for Him in this “… when I listened to this priest today saying this could be the best Lent of our lives, I thought that could mean that we have this chance of making a REAL room for Him…
I have faith in darkness Loves,
Cris
“…one night we told stories of a time when we realised ‘I will be able to measure my life before and after this moment’.”
Cris ~ thanks for calling me today. I really appreciate our friendship. You have such a good take on things. You help me see the opportunity in situations such as this. Felipé.x
It was so good for me to talk to you!!!
Love you and your immediate and extended family in Vashon!
Cris