I noticed ...

I noticed the bags under my eyes in this picture, bags that speak of a poorly slept night on a plane followed by a busy day in city on the eastern side of the Atlantic, followed by another night of fitful sleep as my body adjusted to the six-hour time difference between two continents.

The bags under my eyes are a statement of a life well-lived, even if this life of mine has delivered the ever-lasting heartache of choosing a future in a country away from my origin country and also from family and familiarity. Even if this life of mine is forever punctuated by the enduring presence of loss. 

The bags under my eyes are a statement of age and maturity, a welcoming combination that denotes understanding of self and purpose. I am here to enjoy every minute, every opportunity to make this life of mine one worthy of the privilege that it is to be present, and to be healthy, and to be happy, unquestionably happy, in spite of it all.

With love from Amsterdam, where I am today. 

With love, always, from wherever I am, whenever.

Fernanda