Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Strange Weather

Today it has been completely overcast, completely sunny with bright blue skies, sunny with large black clouds hanging around overhead, partly cloudy, and rainy. Of course, for all these various weather conditions to occur it is very windy as well.

Sometimes the weather reminds us a lot of our life: so many changes that make life a little chaotic, unexpected dark clouds, and the realization that the sun is there whether you can see it or not. As John thrives on the chaos and excitement, Erin is learning to just look forward to the bright sunny times when things seem calm and secure. Actually, those times come more and more frequently the longer we live here in Amsterdam. Although John has had about as much work as he can handle the last couple months, he is looking forward to time away from work over Easter weekend. Erin is learning to appreciate this short time in which she does not have to work. She loves being able to get so much exercise riding her bike and walking all over the place. She loves walking down streets lined with little shops, seeing water almost everywhere she goes, not being in a hurry for anything, feeling safe traveling around the city by herself - even at night, and smelling fresh-baked bread wafting from the bakeries that sit on almost every corner.

Even on days, like Saturday, when John was working and Erin had yet another encounter with a salesperson at the market who tried to converse with her in Dutch and did not speak any English, there are still little spots of sunshine: beautiful weather, blooming flowers, hyacinths in our apartment, a friendly English-speaking neighbor, an entire outfit to work out in for only €9. Life will always be chaotic and a little messy, but that's a fact of life no matter where you live. We're grateful to be here right now...and we're grateful for Spring!

No comments: