Sunset Fruit

We are approaching the sunset years of our life, a long, lingering slowly sinking, westerly sun, floating gently into a far horizon .

I offer you my sunset fruit.

Are you the man who will treasure this shining gift. The gift of my decades of joy and sadness, the very real outlook of a weathered, strengthened, round-edged vixen grown mellow.

The possibility of love. What a delicious hope!

And you, the man who loves to love, loves to play, loves to give.

Who can only make love to a woman he loves.

How fresh, how miraculous and wise!

A man who has lived a wide and fulfilling life. A man comfortable with himself, with no more driving ambitions, except one; to have his true partner, the woman he will love for the rest of his days.

Is this not what I have longed for my whole life through?

Soon, we will enter our Golden Years, drenched in mischief, silliness, cooking for each other, dancing to a Latin beat, with an Israeli accent. Hours of touching, fondling, stroking, laughing, dumb-struck!

Could this be the fulfillment of my forever dream?

Come to me, you, son of the enchanted forest, centaur, shooting your arrows straight and true.

My heart is open.

Love Our Suffering

"You know quite well, deep within you, that there is only a single magic, single power, a single salvation... and that is called loving. Well, then, love your suffering. Do not resist it, do not flee from it. It is your aversion that hurts, nothing else."

Herman Hesse

Among the many sayings my maternal grandmother, Julia Victorina Cuza, would repeat was, "Cuando te venga el sufrimiento, aceptalo con amor." "When suffering comes to you, accept it with love."

Years later, I was surprised to discover that our sage rabbis have said much the same thing.

How difficult! I don't want to suffer. I want to be happy, carefree, up-beat. Yet, in my myriad painful personal experiences as well as travels to many countries, I came to realize there is much travail, hunger, death, sadness, and tragedy in life. In other words, suffering is real and universal.

How can I cope with my own hurts? Tears come so easily, my heart can quickly become heavy, thinking of what I don't have and what I have lost.

This is a great challenge. This will now be a discipline for me, to embrace my suffering.

Hesse, the rabbis and my grandmother all agree, Love your suffering!

I cannot promise I will be able to do this any time soon. I can only say that if I can love my suffering, my suffering will diminish.

I sincerely hope I mature to the point where it will be a reality in my life.

Secrets for a Good Life, Part I, Stay in Touch and Show up

The break-neck pace we lead in southern California makes it too easy for us to forget the important things in life.

There is nothing more precious, more touching than the love and memories we have with those who shared our adventures as we navigated so many stages.

Granted, we are all very busy with the many things that demand our attention. No doubt, our to-do list never seems to be cleared.

But, really, what can be more important than making that special someone happy with a cheerful phone call?

How is our school chum from the fourth grade doing? Is our great-uncle who turned 90 having a pleasant day?

Make someone happy!

In the end, the few minutes we spend letting an old and cherished friend or relative know they are in our hearts and thoughts mean more than words can express.

Now, pick up the phone, sit down and write that little note or e-mail, make someone happy! Buy that plane ticket for the birthday celebration, make a date for a lovely lunch.

Extend yourself!

What does it matter that you must always be the one to make the effort.

Gratitude and appreciation enrich us and everyone we touch.

AND CALL YOUR MOTHER!