Zen Mama

Have you ever cried during a Batman film? I was talking to Tang and Ying Ying on the phone the other day, and we all mentioned the fact that we felt sad while watching "Batman Begins", because the storyline entails how Bruce Wayne lost his parents at a young age, and he often has flashbacks of special moments he had spent with his father. Memories of our father, and the feeling of his loss can hit at the most random times. I've spoken to several friends who have lost their parents before, and they all say the same thing. The loss of a loved one will linger, and the sadness will strike every now and then, forever... For me, I was recently sitting by the beach in Bali, Alexandre had just fallen asleep and I was leaning against Bertrand's shoulder watching the crimson rays of the setting sun glistening atop the crests of waves crashing against the shore. Memories of my Dad started crossing my mind... of him teaching me to do the "cha-cha" at my grade school bir...

Bertrand & Alexandre relaxing in Bali at dusk... check out the crossed legs!

This weekend I celebrated the beginning of another year of my life in a quietly sublime way, in Bali with the two "main men" in my life -- Bertrand and Alexandre. Bali is a place that one can always go to rejuvenate the soul... watching the waves crash against the shore as the palm trees sway above you, while sipping a banana or mango smoothie... While we were there, Alexandre touched grass for the first time, and had his first taste of sand on Legian Beach... much to his (obviously newbie) parents' chagrin. The razor-edged tip of his first tooth began to emerge from the pink flesh of his lower gums. And, he started to crawl, tentatively still, but he's getting around... alternating between crawling, dropping prone to the floor and dragging his body along while leading with his upper torso, then sitting up and starting all over again. It's astounding to watch him figure out his own body's capabilities, inch by inch, day by day ... Sometimes, I swear he smiles ...