Take the good of your parents and do their homework

 I spent a week in Germany to celebrate my mother’s 80th birthday. She seems in good spirits even though more recently she has trouble walking which is a big handicap for her given that she likes to roam out and about. On a way home from my sister she asked me to stop because she wanted to show me her rose-garden. To be honest, part of the reason she revealed this treasure to me probably was because I was walking too fast for her and she needed a break. There she sat, surrounded by rosebushes looking into a range of trees just like I do. “Here I sit watching the sunrise and dawn. That’s my spot of heaven,” she said. I had a tough time suppressing my tears. I know that nature means the world to her, but never knew that she gets lost in nature the same way I do.

 

Isn’t that humanity’s evolution? We take the presents from our parents and build on them. I write now about spiritual aha moments, but otherwise have inherited many spiritual inclinations from her. And just maybe we take a closer look at the homework our parents couldn’t quite finish themselves and do something constructive with it. I went with the two boys on this trip. Can’t wait to see what they come up with—if God gives us that time that is. PS: The photo is a stolen one of my mum getting ready for her birthday cake. She hates taking pictures. Next to her is my sister-in-law who made her an amazing Tiramisu cake to celebrate the occasion.