The two most important persons in my life have had a contrasting week. Kiddo has been accepted as an associate with the TFA program and now awaits placement. It would be a 2-year commitment and I guess depending on the placement outcome, other decisions will be made. Tress on the other hand, has had a challenging few weeks and last week made the decision – at least psychologically/mentally – to do something about those challenges.
In the background, as I whir away in this hip semi industrial fringe of Melbourne CBD, I too see people walking past intersections of life. In my short time here so far, I had invested time in a few people of which 2 have already been moved on. Both are males and we (the 3 of us) have had several lunches together and were just starting to build a relationship of sorts.
These movements have been intriguing to witness and be part of. Life’s vicissitudes have taught me to simply appreciate each day as it comes. Living, engaging and embracing the present is a relatively new mantra but I’m learning the values of the here and now, of being here every time.
Tress has been – as always – concerned I got enough rest and stop and put my feet up sometimes but I’ve been given a new lease of life. The return to Melbourne has made me embrace life here a lot more. It is physically draining by the end of most weeks but that too is to be embraced. The experience of being dried out late Friday, having little energy to kick on late to celebrate the arrival of yet another weekend, is yet another experience I am embracing. Sometimes there’s a tinge of the sense of the unbearable lightness of being.
Yet, when I witness people approaching crossroads – especially those dearest to me – I loosen my embrace of the present and think instead what can, will or ought to be. I want Kiddo to make a life for herself and embark on a full on journey. I want Tress to enjoy each day as she pours herself out at her work and seek to make life better for everyone around her…
Even as these crossroads are around Tress and I now, we continue to chug along our normal weekends. We both dropped into our hairdresser’s – Simon in Mt Waverley – first thing Saturday morning, after which we came back, pottered around the house and took the little furry ball for a longish walk, before the anticipated wet day later on. Lunch at Madam K again and then it was off to FHC to check some details of our coming break to Five-O land before we got some groceries and went home to cook the week’s meals. I made lots of soup as I listened to the Hawks’s crescendo of a finish against the Lions up in Brisbane.
Very early on Sunday I got up to watch the Champions League final. I urged Atletico Madrid on, hoping they would avenge their loss in 2014 to the same team – their more famous cross town rival. They succumbed finally in a penalty shoot out – just. Their 4th kicker hit the post which allowed their rival’s iconic superstar (Cristiano Ronaldo) to slot in the winning kick.
At church later that morning, Peter talked about bringing joy at/to work and I wondered again, if that message made any impact on Tress. We later bumped into Ronald and Cat at lunch. They’re old friends from Klang and have been living in Melbourne for many years. After lunch we decided to visit Eastland – it was still cool, a bit wet and we wanted a place to walk around but away from the wintry conditions. We bumped into Natasha – Tress’ cousin – together with her squeeze.
Later we walked the little fellow again, and then went home, made some red bean soup and settled down to some TV before heading to bed.
Ante 