ONE DAY

 

May we all be blessed to, one day,  live in a world

where…any time and any place

love is the only religion

and humanity the only race.

GNRT DAY 40 GOODBYE LE CHATEAU FRONTENAC AND HONEYMOONERS

 

Today we drove from Quebec City to Vermont and as more and more memories we collect

time together on the road…gives us more time to reflect:

We took a tour of Le Chateau Frontenac it was our last night there to dwell

and with 131 years of history…she has some stories to tell.

One story that we loved…took place years ago…in June

about a young couple who came to this hotel…on their honeymoon.

This young couple stood at the head of this double staircase 

and…wanting to create a memory that was truly theirs

decided to make a wish…while each descended different stairs.

They decides to meet at the bottom…

and ,once their wishes were made, knew they’d be remiss…

If they didn’t take that moment to seal their wishes with a kiss.

So they descended the stairs, made their wishes, 

and after sealing them with a kiss too.

promised never to reveal their wishes to one another…

lest those wishes would not come true.

Skip ahead 60 years…for their anniversary 

their children decided to send them back

to the place where their life together began…Le Chateau Frontenac.

Where at the top of the same double staircase…60 years delayed

they decided to reveal to one another…the honeymoon wishes they had made.

It turns out they both made the same wish…as those 60 yers flashed back…

to make a life together and some day, if they’ were lucky…return to Le Chateau Frontenac.

Today people who are told that story are encouraged to make a wish

while descending the stairs…and not to be remiss…

when they get to the bottom…to meet…and seal their wishes with a kiss.

Deborah and I thought this was a great idea…we descended the stairs,

made our wishes…kissed…even let out a few cheers…

And if you want to know what we wished for…

we’ll meet you at the head of a double staircase in Le Chateau Frontenac

in another 60 years.

EMBRACE ONE ANOTHER

 

Today’s blessing comes from the Italian writer, actor, director and engineer

Luciano De Crescenzo

reminding us the importance of being each other’s sister and brother

We are all angels with only one wing

and we can only fly by embracing one another

GNRT DAY 39 QUEBEC CITY ANGELS

 

When I was young I believed angels were shy

content to remain in the shadows of the day and night

happy to watch over and protect us while remaining out of sight

Growing up in the Catholic Church…this is what I was taught

but the older I grow I’ve come to believe…angels are not as shy as I once thought.

Nor are they all sent from heaven…no I think many angels can be found… 

down hear upon the Earth…spreading kindness all around.

All along this trip we’ve encountered angels…who have helped us every day

in the airport, everyplace we’ve stayed…with our car… 

when we were lost…couldn’t find our way

People who stopped, smiled, listened, lent us a hand…

who were more than willing to share.

which enhanced my belief that surrounding us are angels everywhere.

Waiters, bell hops, clerks behind the counters, people on the street

angels we have never known but were fortunate to meet

As we walked the streets of Old Quebec City today…

angels were everywhere to help us with any undertaking or task…

and we found out sometimes an angel will help…without even being asked!

Yes, here in Canada where in a different culture we have found ourselves entrenched

we realized there are even angels who can speak to us in French.

In fact, this being an international tourist town…

we’ve heard, Chinese, Indian, Russian, Spanish, Dutch and Greek

It appears there isn’t any language angels do not speak

Which makes us want to try and be angels from now on…

every day of every week…

because, as all these angels have reminded us:

Kindness is a universal language everyone can speak.

A TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AND ALL THE HATS THEY WEAR

 

Today a tribute to women…to women everywhere

A simple acknowledgment of all the hats you wear…

And men…if you hadn’t thought of this before…

A little something to make you think:

A mother, a secretary, a teacher

a chauffeur, a maid, a counselor

a cook and a cleaner walk into a bar….

And then she sits down and orders a drink.

GNRT DAY 38 QUEBEC CITY AND MY HAT

 

We had this lovely tiny house booked in Quebec City

but they canceled our reservation a little while back…

so we took that as a sign from the Gods of travel

and made reservations at Le Chateau Frontenac.

Le Chateau Frontenac sits like a castle on a hill in Old Quebec City

It’s been in movies and mentioned in many people’s memoirs… 

It has hosted government officials, princesses, queens and movie stars

Let me digress a moment…

Before we left on this trip I bought this colorful bucket hat…

where on my head it has sat…

and I am proud to say I’ve received scores of compliments 

on my little tie-dyed hat.

People of all shapes, sizes and colors…young or old…

can you imagine that

have made it a point to walk up to me and say…I love your hat.

On hiking trails, in elevators, in restaurants…

in bathrooms…walking by a pool

I’ve been told so many times…how my hat is very cool.

I’m not sure why but people seem to love it…

from in the country to the cities…from the mountains to the farms…

and their love has turned my little hat…into our lucky charm.

The latest example was when we arrived at Le Chateau Frontenac

“I love your hat!” The woman who checked us in said.

“It looks so good on you.”

Then after we talked with her about our trip…

she upgraded us to a room with a king sized bed…and a river view.

She acted like we were royalty…something we could never have foreseen…

treating me like I was a king and Deborah like she was a queen.

I like to think it’s been my charming personality and my smile

that all these people are reacting too…and looking at…

but as I sit in our room overlooking the St. Lawrence River…

I’m confident…it is my hat.

BLESSED TO LEARN ANOTHER LANGUAGE

 

May we all be blessed to one day learn a second language

because as these new words in your unfurl

we find they open up another window in which to look out on the world

And when we think in a different language

we’re in for a surprise….

as we look through this new window

and begin to see the world through another culture’s eyes.

GNRT DAY 37 MONTREAL AND THE LANGUAGE OF THE FRENCH

 

How can you not love the language, the accent…

they way they form their words in France? 

How French words flow so easily…linger in the air…and dance

Luckily we didn’t have to go to France…

to hear their language and be enthralled 

because French is the language many speak right here in Montreal.

We tried to study ahead of time…knowing we’d be coming here by car…

and we’re happy when we learned Bonjour, Merci and Au Revoir.

We did remember two songs from our youth…Alouette and Dominique

(apparently that was when our capacity for learning French hit it’s highest peak) 

They say there are 135,000 words in the French language

a number that seems quite high

when the only words we know are hello, thank you and goodbye.

But equipped with our Rick Steve’s handbook and our I-phone translator too

we walked the streets of Montreal determined to muddle through.

We took the Metro into the city, visited the Basillica of Notre Dame, 

walked Jacques-Cartier park and in front of city hall

deciding along the way how we love Montreal.

As it turns out many people speak two languages here…

unlike those of us wholly speak one…

and were happy to help us get around…which made our day more fun.

So as a tribute to their language…one of the most romantic languages by far

I’ll end this poem by saying merci beaucoup to you for reading it…

and end with au revoir.

For those of you who wanted to hear a little more French 

who weren’t  finished listening yet

I’m sorry this poem ended before you had a chance t

to hear my rendition of Alouette.

IMAGINE THE BOUQUETS

 

If we were blessed to plant the flowers of our life in other people’s gardens

blessed to find a way…

Imagine how each garden would become

an even more beautiful bouquets