Maastricht❣️

Day Three. Maastricht!

The laughter of children awakens me today. They are just outside bouncing on the in-ground trampoline. It is an enchanting song as they glory in a life of living in the present. This is a worthy goal for my day.

The clouds dot the light blue sky as the cool breezes suggest I may need my coat today. The horses are up and snorting in protracted fervor and we are off to meet a brand new grandbaby in Echt.

A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on
Carl Sandburg

It is the same message from the early morning trampoline.

Echt
E an J’s darling new one is fresh from heaven with sweetness and light in every centimeter. Her presence in my arms touches my deep places and my tears at her perfection are hard to hide. There is something so tender, pure and right about sharing the happiness of those I have seen grow.

Their home is not only a musical paradise but a marvel of quirky character with its nooks and crannies. Why does architecture so captivate me? I could live here.

Maastricht
The roads to the square are cobbled and narrow like slot canyons of the city, the old brick row houses rise to the sky. There is joy in being back.

I speak to this city of my heart. Would I love you if it weren’t for your history in my life? Do I see you only through the eyes of the memory of young love, of continued love? If I let you go, do I let Philip go? Maastricht is a safe place to leave my heart, to pick it up again in cherished memories when I visit… Do others see it’s magic or is it simply my overactive mind’s eye?

You know what? It doesn’t matter. This is my happy place. Sitting on the Maastricht square at VRIJTHOF 9, eating a delicious meal I have loved for years, with friends who are family. The cool wind rustling its chorus through the rows of trees. Three grand cathedrals in contrasting colors standing sentinels commanding my notice. What else could I want or need in this moment? Well, maybe Philip…but he is already here.