Day 266 - Lila

Thought of the day: Since we've been away so much lately, we are glad to be back home and see some dear and familiar faces again.  This morning I had a long chat with Monica.  I have known her for several years now, but every time I talk to her, I seem to learn something new of her. My fascination in Monica is, in many ways, similar to Henry Miller's fascination in the curious Greek figure named Karamenaios. Henry Miller described his encounter and lengthy conversations with Karamenaios in a dramatic yet poetic language in a book titled "The Colossus of Maroussi", my serendipitous find in the Atlantis Bookstore in Santorini, Greece.  Karamenaios was a Greek story teller who had the gift of captivating and enchanting his audience within minutes of a monologue.  It was the same way with Monica.  Just like Karamenaios, her monologue was infused with her wisdom, warmth and passion, a unique mix that was brew out of an intelligent and inquisitive mind over years of solitude in the mountains.  We talked about horses today. It's a fascinating topic on its own right, but regardless of the topic, it was always enchanting and mesmerizing talking to Monica.  It was a gift to be able to spend some time with her, and I hope I will continue receiving the gift in the years to come.

Photo of the day:

Lila playing with her balloon butterfly during dinner at the Dushanbe Teahouse.  To her left, it's a bag of  produce we bought from the Wednesday Farmer's Market outside of the Teahouse. Both my girls love spending time with Monica and I sure hope that, over time, they will receive as many pearls of wisdom from her as I did.