Grandmère Mimi set me reminiscing this morning with her post Lessons Life Taught Me. It's all about wisdom of growing older and I'm getting ready to celebrate my 70th at the end of June. Since I celebrated my 50th and 60th in Vienna, I decided a few years back that I would celebrate my 70th there as well. Many of the people I know are no longer there, but I do have a few friends I want to see and there are new people to meet at the Anglican Church there where I attended when I worked for the UN and where I spent eight months while in seminary as an intern.My daughter and son-in-law are coming so that will be fun. We will see The Magic Flute at the Opera House and share some meals with friends and show daughter's husband some of the sights. My daughter lived with me there for about a year. She worked (mainly for free) at the English Theatre. At the time she was a theatre major and had finished two years of college. It was a wonderful time of bonding for the two of us. She also met many people and has kept in touch with some them over the years and some live in the US near enough for her to still get together with then.
One Mother's Day there she told me to stay in my bedroom. My daughter was cooking in the kitchen and I assumed a nice breakfast was being prepared. It turned out that three young musician friends of hers from Australia had come over to our apartment to play me a private concert (and eat breakfast.) The Dvorak string trio they played brought tears to my eyes. We had other magical moments around music and travel together and I am so grateful for that time together that allowed our mother-daughter relationship to flourish.
After Vienna I'm going to England for my first meeting of the Society of Ordained Scientists and with a Britrail pass go see some cathedral cities before heading home.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. (From Mimi's post above)
