Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

2016 Looking Back

Corey Amaro photo by Sacha RB

Photo by my son Sacha.

 

The land surrounds me,

There is nothing but the dirt under my feet,

the sky over head

and my bare body.

Alone.

 

I imagine what that would be like?

Back in the beginning whenever that was,

back when sparks flew and light spoke in the darkness,

Far behind my present life yet still living within me.

Life was then, now and tomorrow.

Weren't we all the same in that moment of deep reality, in that moment less than a nanosecond?

Aren't we still the same at the root buried under time?

I wonder at the magnitude, the enormous meaning of having it all and having nothing.

This seriousness, this sensitivity, this unexplainable wonder stands in front of me daily. I am not standing alone on barren land with nothing to hold on to, nor do I have empty hands, yet many have this reality.

Life is unfair.

And that is hard to accept. 

 ___

 

A glimpse back at our year in 2016. As is every year much has happened, a mixture of happiness and sadness, love and fear, joy and trouble, leaps and falls, peace and war: A time for everything under heaven even if I would not have it so. Our world turns with all of us in it together, a speck in a massive universe, a speck that is utterly, fantastically, beautifully connected, ever so precious and strong. We have seen or heard of atrocities so grand that it is beyond comprehension. Warfare and prejudices that strike to the core of humanity leaving me stunned, bitter, angry and most of all seemingly helpless when I long not to be. Throughout this year I have remained silent about these events on my blog, leaving the news media to investigate and report it, letting my blog be simply a blog about my life in France and hopefully uplifting to others. Many times I have wanted to "say" something, "do" something, change directions but in the end I have decided against doing so. I hope that you know that I am not blind, nor accepting of the hatred and brutality that is happening in Syria and beyond. That I long to change the course of destruction… My challenge is to be as loving and giving as I can, and by doing so encourage others to do the same. No it is not enough, but it is what I can challenge myself to do every day.

Love one another.

 

 

Comments

26 responses to “2016 Looking Back”

  1. Jojo

    Thank you for saying something. Blogs are wonderful for creating escapes but truthfully our lives don’t escape. We are part of this world and each of us has the extraordinary ability to do good and create ripple effects of goodness. Bloggers like you are influencers and have the ability to create waves of good. Thank you for doing so. Happy new year dear Corey.

    Reply
  2. Jojo

    Thank you for saying something. Blogs are wonderful for creating escapes from our day-to-day, or for showcasing the best moments of our days but truthfully our lives don’t escape the tragedies and sadnesses of the world. We are part of this world and each of us has the extraordinary ability to do good and create ripple effects of goodness every day. Bloggers like you are influencers and because of this you have the ability to create waves of good. No, oceans of good. Thank you for doing so and for reminding us readers to challenge ourselves to do the same. Happy new year dear Corey.

    Reply
  3. Jacklynn Lantry

    “…most of all seemingly helpless when I long not to be…” That kernel from your post is the crux of it for me. The feeling of helplessness, the fear that if I say or do what feels right in my own heart, a wrath will be let loose on me. Especially in this social media age. Doing that feels like joining in on the fray. Never much help…or would it be? Just how much do I get involved, just how much do I (publicly) say? Corey, you have a strong and steady heart. You are wise. Both as evidenced by what you don’t say as much as by what you do say. Your tiny blog in this giant universe has sent out ripples, and they are felt by folks close to you and far away. A restless and worried gal in southeastern Massachusetts grabbed onto one of those ripples at an important moment. Clung onto it for several weeks, got much needed respite and is mighty grateful. That is no small thing.

    Reply
  4. Cynthia Rieth

    Beautifully said Corey, wishing you and yours all the best in 2017!

    Reply
  5. pmj

    Your post today is so big – meaningful and thought provoking. Thank you.

    Reply
  6. Toni Mason

    Dear Corey,
    It is “enough” to love one another we just pray that lives around the world will also see that it “is” enough to love one another, and hearts can change, I am Praying for Peace every day in 2017. Amen.

    Reply
  7. Diogenes

    Thank you for your thoughtful, and nicely written, post.
    And Corey, that is a great photo of you, and all the similar colors of your coat, the stones, and the stucco wall enhance it.
    Wishing you a Happy New Year. And hoping for peace.

    Reply
  8. Momof5

    Corey, your blog is always a light in a frequently dark world. One can never have too much love. Happy New Year to you and may our world feel more of that love in 2017.

    Reply
  9. Momof5

    So we’ll said and appreciated by another Massachusetts gal.

    Reply
  10. becky up a hill

    Thankful.

    Reply
  11. g

    I agree with the 1st comment-to speak not to speak…sometimes speaking is futile especially in a faceless world of social media- so action is what is required and the greatest of these is to love-maybe only in your part of the world-but as Jackie said ripples…. it moves beyond your part of the world-love one another-a smile- a hand held out- a meal made a note sent -the gestures do not have to be big but the ripples go far and wide-and to those who can help big in areas so needing of it I bow in honor to them-you do what you can where you can with GREAT LOVE…above all we are called to love!HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

    Reply
  12. Ann

    Happy New Year to you, your family and your blog family. It is best to focus on all that is good in our lives. We are asked to be a beacon of light to others with prayer, hope, love and peace. Blessings to all in 2017.

    Reply
  13. carol

    Well said. Love is essential. Happy New Year to you and yours dear Corey.

    Reply
  14. carol

    Ditto for this gal too, Jacklynn. Well said. 💕

    Reply
  15. Marilyn

    Sometimes we cannot keep our mouths shut at the unjustice in the world. We will overcome, I just know we will and it will be indeed with love.
    BTW – Thanks for the postcard! Love it!!

    Reply
  16. Arnelle Louise

    “It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.”
    ― Mahatma Gandhi
    I believe finding a thread of truth in another always opens the door to understanding.
    ☮️

    Reply
  17. Jacklynn Lantry

    Hey! whose the other Massachusetts gal? Let’s have coffee…and Corey you come too!

    Reply
  18. Chico Sue

    AMEN!

    Reply
  19. Ana

    We who love are in the majority but we are seen as the minority and we feel we have no power. There are many people who are ‘doing’ they demonstrate their love by action and then there are those who love by word, they use words of love as weapons. We cannot all be the doers in the midst of the crisis, as in all things everyone has a part to play and maybe yours Corey,is to do exactly what you are doing everyday on your blog, because,the war against love is not just being waged on foreign war torn lands,nor in places of drought and famine, it is being waged in hearts everywhere and if we can but touch one heart through our words then the miracle of that small ripple could have a far reaching effect on our world. We do not always have to have it spelled out to us, nor splashed in front of us in black and white. We carry the words and images in our hearts. I pray not as often, nor as well as I should,but, I pray for love, and in 2017, your words of love will continue to speak to the hearts of many and in turn they will speak to many more. So, you don’t have to write about it in your blog for us to know your love for world, it is there, hidden between the lines in plain sight for all of us who love to plainly see.
    God bless you and keep you in this coming year, and don’t stop writing, I for one have personally found healing and love from your words X

    Reply
  20. Leslie in Oregon

    We know that you are not blind to the horrors in the world, Corey. There are many ways to speak and to do. If you want to write about subjects beyond your life in France, and go beyond your wonderful ability to lift us up, then I hope that you do. You will inspire us to move toward understanding.

    Reply
  21. Marilyn

    Happy New Year, Corey. Your compassion and eloquence make my day better and the world better. At times your passages stop me in my tracks, they are so beautiful and reveal such truth. You remind us that we all must show love and concern for others and speak out against injustice. Thank you.

    Reply
  22. g

    brilliant!

    Reply
  23. cheri

    If only you could be the ruler of the world, what a wonderful place it would be….

    Reply
  24. Kathie

    Feliz Ano Novo!

    Reply
  25. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    I appreciate that about you, the choices you make to maintain the “flavor” of your blog.
    And then, as Chelsea observed once on meeting a BlogFriend at the Paris apartment, all your friends are so kind and nice!

    Reply
  26. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    Well said, Momof5

    Reply

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