La chere Famille Lynch et moi au Cimetiere du Pere LachaiseMy apologies for being out of touch for a day. Yesterday, my morning was full with classes and, with great delight, I was able to meet dear friends from the Northern Neck for a late dejeuner, again at my favorite place Un Jour a Paris. The beloved Lynch family had been a precious constant in my life as I had had the pleasure of teaching all three of the sons. At different times in my tenure at CCS, I taught the elder two sons in English Language and Literature and, with the youngest, I taught Theology. Of course, they were, respectively, 16 and 18 years of age then. Today they are grown men, really. What an honor to have spent some time with the generous, adventurous, good, and MUCH beloved Lynch family yesterday! Not only was I treated to a lovely lunch, but we also made our way, by metro, to the incredible Pere Lachaise Cemetery. It was a pilgrimage of sorts and, with the little bit of time we had (the cemetery closes at 6:00 p.m. sharp), we saw the resting places of French poet Guillaume Apollinaire, French author Marcel Proust, English satirist and author Oscar Wilde, and of course, American musician Jim Morrison of The Doors. There were other folk whose resting places we wished to discover, but alas, we were firmly directed out of the cemetery at 6:00 p.m. We even pushed the bounds a bit to make sure we found Jim. And we did. My hope remains to venture back to Pere Lachaise and visit Chopin and Modigliani before my time in Paris comes to a close. The picture at the beginning of this posting is taken right outside one of the cemetery's entrances. My dear roommate Kasia took the picture of us all, so to place in pictorial history the kinds of family that are created in school communities, the length of years in which these relationships abide, and the incredible places wherein you graciously rendez-vous. What a magnificent surprise it was to be with family here! Also, the picture to the side is at grand Oscar Wilde's tomb covered with painted, lipsticked kisses. There is a sign asking visitors to not touch and deface this historical monument. So, I leaned in very close and imitated what many guests had done before and felt the spirit of shared admiration and affection. (And, by the way, we did get a little lost thanks to my getting lost in French translation. Nevertheless, the Lynch family was up for the mission in good spirits and humor. What a gift!)
Today, of course, is my busiest day of classes, so I am stealing away in the salon for a half an hour to post and then will run and pick up something for lunch at the supermarche. In the day from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., I am in class for the day's entirety, save one hour for lunch. Yet the time is flying by and I am sad that these are my last few days of classes. The school has been a sanctuary of sorts and I do wish, very much, to return and continue my French instruction. The time has only further created in me the desire to speak another language and, in that practice, open up a world of ever widening circles of family, friendship, and life's transformation. Also, in this, I realize that this kind of living takes MUCH more work on my part to pay attention, listen, and wait. I could use a whole summer, a whole year, a whole life even, of this kind of living.
My homestay has also provided me with some very surprising, transformative moments. Getting to know the family as well as my housemates offers me a myriad of new, unexpected, challenging, and, ultimately, heartening engagements for which I could never have imagined, planned, or controlled. This, perhaps, has been the greatest growing edge of my time here. I look forward to sharing some interesting stories with you all when I, prayerfully, arrive home gladly and safely. Until then, I revel in this time and wish you were here, in person, to discover this city with me. The Lynch family provided me with a taste of beloved family alongside and, hence, I dream of future days with you all on the journey
A thought
"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
*Oscar Wilde
A hope
2 comments:
We shipped Shelby off to Paris on Monday with mostly smiles. I think my last words were: "Don't lose your passport!"
The blog continues to be great fun to read, and the pictures are a pleasant bonus. Are the Converse sneakers new or is that a French addition? shelby says they love Converse sneakers.
Enjoy!
Steve
Actually I have worn my Chucks since high school and that is a LONG time ago. But, as you said, Mr, Williams, there are TONS around the city. I do hope Shelby's experience is a good one here. Paris is an incredible place and the challenges, of course, are the different language and cultural nuances. I am just adjusting to some of that now, two weeks later. I pray your summer is a marvelous and restful one. Peace, brother!
Post a Comment