39./365 An Unexpected Reunion on the Playground

This is a repost from a private blog I set up in TypePad on Monday, August 9, 2010 at 1:43am

39./365 An Unexpected Reunion on the Playground

I desperately need to go to sleep but I feel if I don't write the story behind the 39th picture of 365, the feeling I want to preserve will fade away. Logically and based from experience, I am aware they won't. Still, I feel that the feeling will last longer when preserve in words, and enhanced with the image.

365 means a lot to me, and one of the many reasons I am passionate about it is, it helps me in coping and overcoming with the stress of my tendency to strive perfectionism. I'll elaborate on that some other time. But this post, hopefully will explain if this writing is not very cohesive or lack clarity. I am simply rushing to write down the emotion of a memory, I would like to remember forever.

I've mentioned before that most of the time, the day is so eventful, filled with so much memorable moments worthy of being preserved on film, that when I am finally sitting in front of the screen hitting the compose button on TypePad, I need a few minutes to decide which image should be the image of the day.

Sunday was one of those days.

I could have posted an image of me excitedly holding the folder containing registration papers and effects for my Dutch intensive course in front of a historic building; or shared the image of a famous highly photographed Amsterdam bridge under construction; or an image of how the girls & I splashed happily and full of carefree on the lake.

'An Unexpected Reunion on the Playground' became the 39th image because it is for me both very delightful, touching moment.

Not all knows the details or circumstances of our moving to the Netherlands, but these are not important to mention now. I hope it will be enough to share that it was not entirely all rosy.

My reward for all those moments when I feel that I somehow 'failed in life' is when I see the images of the girls all happy, contented and full of energy bursting from within them, which I can see from the twinkling of all their eyes.

They were great at their preparatory school, learning Dutch excellently in a span of a school year. Teachers were proud and became very fond of them. So fond, that when we said goodbye, they asked us to please keep in touch. Not only empty words but we saw, and felt those words.

P gave the girls friendship books, hoping to give them something tangible to remember the friendship that they made during the unforgettable school year.

Although addresses and telephone numbers were exchanged, somehow, I got the impression from the girls, that they were not counting on seeing their classmates/friends from the preparatory school again.

Today, after we spent half a day in Amsterdam, we still wanted to walk along the lake, to shake off a bit of the hectic of the city. Living where we are, and going to Amsterdam, makes one feel the stark contrast of country and city life.

We drove without any particular destination near our village. As we park near the lake, we discovered a playground in the residential area, and the girls squealed and ask if they could play, while P walk the path to check where we could cool our feet.

Suddenly a small dark figure of a girl wearing colourful garments came as I sat by the bench of the playground, ready to leaf through the Amsterdam book, that I got in Felix Meritis as part of my registration effects.

I was not sure but I said the name of K's (middle daughter) bestfriend (I) from school out loud, anyway. K rushed to her, and indeed it was (I) who warmly hugged K back! Catching their moment with the camera is one of those instances, that I don't care that the camera has almost become an extension of my hand! LOL

We all loved watching them together, so genuinely happy to be together, and talking to each other so fondly.

I hope to go back to this Note some other time to fill in some things that will make this more comprehensible. For now, I go to bed with a lighter mind, and a happy skip to my heart.

Here is hoping, that I won't pay too much for staying up 20 minutes before 2 am!