Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder?

Anyone out there in a long-distance relationship, counting down the days to the next reunion? How do you cope? How do you manage your thoughts when your heart aches so deeply it wants to break open because you can see or touch the person you love? How do you quiet the words of fear and self-doubt when they creep in unexpectedly? How to you stifle the physical impulses that intrude in your daily routine at the mere mention of that person's name? Maybe you've never given it any thought...

I recently watched, the Warner Bros movie, Going the Distance. This passage sums up its premise:


Box: Now, look, I have done the long distance thing. And it is hard. As hell. And it doesn't matter how good the relationship is, it literally can just rip it apart. Look, it is just very hard to be away from the person you love for months at a time.

Garrett: I know. I know it's not gonna be easy.

Box: That's all I'm sayin'.

Dan: But maybe YOU never found the right girl.

Garrett: That's not a bad point.



Is it true that absence makes the heart grow fonder? Or does it mainly provide more opportunity for the eyes to wander, as one of my more cynical friends suggested when discussing the fate of long distance relationships? It is a topic worthy of debate and I would LOVE to hear your comments.



My final thoughts are summed up quite eloquently by a much older gentleman, Comte DeBussy-Rabutin (13 April 1618 – 9 April 1693):



“Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.”

The Rush of Possibility

Breathless, we flung us on a windy hill, laughed in the sun, and kissed the lovely grass.

-- Rupert Brooke

This kind of rapture is how I feel when I Stop the Treadmill of Life and Live in Possibility. This is how I feel when I surrender all the ‘shoulds’ in my life and just BE. This bliss, this awe, it is mine to cherish.

Do you remember the last time that the breeze, the sun, the green grass gave you such pleasure? If you can’t remember, I suggest it is time NOW. Find yourself some grass. (A backyard, picnic area, or even the side of a parking lot... it’s not that hard.) Step outside in your bare feet. Throw open your arms. Look up to the sky. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply. Exhale. Spin around slowly (this will add to the fun). Ahh... now wasn’t that worth the effort? Can you feel the rush of possibility entering now that you have created the space?

I’d love to hear what simple steps you take to Stop the Treadmill of Life. The other readers of my blog would like to hear, too. Let’s face it; when you experience something as wonderful as this, you want the whole world to know it! Send your comments. We are all grateful.

T'is the Season for Royal Watching

Festivities at the nation's capital were taken up a notch this Canada Day and NOT just because Great Big Sea was playing again. No, the big draw for the 300,000 flag waving patriots was the chance to see the newlyweds, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

They began their North American visit in Ottawa and today, landed in Prince Edward Island where my friend Kevin, played hookey to get this photo of the couple as they enjoyed a horse-drawn carriage ride around Charlottetown. Such excitement!

So what is it about the royals that makes us stand at attention? What does this young couple represent to the public that they would interrupt their daily routine just for the possibility of see what Kate is wearing or Will flash his smile? Are they more than a passing fancy?

I'd love to hear your comments. They have captured the hearts of people all over the world, but you are in MY world and your thoughts are important to me so, tell me, what does the royal couple mean to you?

God Save the Queen.