Paris Landing

Too many of my friends are moving away right now. To New Orleans, Michigan, Maine, possibly Pittsburgh... there is exodus in the air. I'm trying not to be mad about it. Seriously, I get mad about it when folks get to stepping.

The upside? I get to spend more quality time with folks I love in advance of their departures.

On Friday night, there was one such gathering to send Deb off enveloped in a big hug. I was able to spend some time with Marisa, who I haven't seen much of due to work sending her to Paris. Repeatedly! She's the creative genius behind The Artemisian, a beautiful jewelry line that is taking off. She filled me in on magical synchronicities on the cobble-stones of Paris. 

She touched my arm and said, "I thought of you while I was there. That phrase, 'Land Meaningfully Wherever You Are,' was my mantra."

Shucks!

She continued, "I visited this old bookstore in Paris. It's probably the oldest. Gertrude Stein and Sartre held salons there. In it, they've preserved an old cubby-hole with a typewriter."

Paris Bookstore hide-away

Marisa told me, "People sit down and write something on the type-writer. The surrounding walls are covered in their messages."

I had to sit with that image for a spell. I love word walls.

"I wrote 'Land Meaningfully.'" Marisa said.

Marisa's contribution in yellow: "Alive. Awake. Present. Landing Meaningfully Wherever I am."

So beautiful.

Has this idea of being present, wherever you are currently, impacted you? Tell me about it. I'd love to share more of your stories!