Cartoon Pen & Watercolour
Copyright © 2010 Jean Burman
Click here to see “Turning over a New Leaf 1 – Jan 08″
Another year has come and gone… and for me… the one just past enjoys an especial significance. In many ways it was the year of learning lessons the hard way. And those lessons continued right up until [and beyond] the stroke of midnight on New Year Eve.
The last lesson of the year was a hard but necessary one. I won’t go into detail… but I can now honestly say I have emerged into the new year with newfound wisdom and understanding… and a deeply profound respect for myself. Nothing is ever for nothing as they say.
For me there is now no looking back… except to acknowledge the life journey that has brought me to here and has made me [so far] who I am… and to express my deep appreciation for the people who have walked the path with me and encouraged throughout… especially over the past few months as I have struggled to gain equilibrium in all things. They have helped to weave the rich blanket of love joy wisdom and optimism that now surrounds and fortifies me… and I shall be ever grateful to them for that. I am so very blessed.
I found this version of Auld Lang Syne and instantly loved it. It brought back so many enchanted memories of my strong Celtic upbringing under the influence of my Mother’s large extended family. My grandfather… a lovingly belligerent Scotsman [who danced the highland fling, poured whisky and butter into his bagpipes to prime the bag and who year after year swallowed the threepences my Grandmother lovingly mixed into the Christmas pudding] would regale the family with copious long winded recitations of Robbie Burns.
My Grandmother for her part had just enough of the Irish in her to make her a truly unique remarkable and entirely lovable human being. She had a saying for everything.
One of her particular favourites… brought out when our friends may have let us down… was
“May your real friends have champagne and your sham friends have real pain”
although just secretly between you and me… I doubt she would have been capable of inflicting pain on anyone… save for the pain of too many helpings of her homemade strawberry icecream… or too many servings of mulberry pie… the berries for which my uncle would be dispatched to scale the backyard tree.
One day my Grandfather…noticing the ruckus high up in the tree… came out firing his 22 into the branches expecting a snake to drop out. Alas…my Uncle… who survived the assault shaken but unscathed… did not entirely escape the wrath of my Grandfather for hurling expletives from the tree followed by “It’s ME you silly old buggar… it’s ME!”
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
And a Happy New Year to you, too, Jean. Let’s all just “keep on truckin’.” Your Irish proverb reminded me of my favorite Jewish curse: “May all his teeth fall out except one, and may he have root canal on that one.” [grin]
Hahaha… good one John!