#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream
“It's no accident, I think, that tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love, the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature.”
~ Andre Agassiz
The alarm went off at 7:00 and I didn’t really want to move. But I did. My daughter and I had a plan. We would walk to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, as I had missed getting there two days ago. Would she actually rise and join me, I wondered? Well, yes! We set off in the beautiful, bright Paris sunshine. Starting in the 50’s, but warming up to the 70’s. We actually made it there, and sat down in the chapel with a dozen or so others. It was very quiet. We looked around at the gorgeous depictions of Mary. I wondered if there would be a Mass. I tried to set my alarm for a 10-minute meditation, thinking I would just sit there in silence. And i set the alarm off. You can imagine my daughter’s embarrassment. Then, a priest did arrive and lead a short service and communion. I wondered why I was there and who or what I wanted to pray for. Clearly, I thought, I am here to say a prayer for my dear friend of many many years who is having a health challenge. My sweet friend whom I met when I was 13. I thought about the first time we saw each other in the classroom. I was new, and when the bell rang for lunch she came smiling up to me with her happy face and long blond hair and big brown eyes and asked if I wanted to have lunch with her. We immediately bonded. I remembered all this, the beginning of our friendship. I also thought of the children in Uvalde, Texas, and their families, and of all those injured and killed in the Buffalo supermarket. Then, before communion, we slipped out, walked back to the flat, brought croissants and coffee home with us to get ready to go to Roland Garros with Frank for our day at the French Open. We took the Metro, and in the glorious sunshine of this day had the most magnificent lunch that went with our tickets, and met some lovely people. Then, watched both the women’s semi-finals; and the young American Coco Gauff, will play Iga Świątek in the women’s final. After that, home, tired, via Metro. Happy, so happy for this fun. And also, I am very satisfied by the quiet, thoughtful, reverent moments in the chapel, especially. The lunch, the tennis, were a great treat and excitement. But the chapel with Mary was a particular nourishment I needed.