mijmeringen en ervaringen uit mijn dagelijkse leven - musings and experiences from everyday life

I don't know her. But I do know she's 10 or 11. She would rather go for a bike ride than go to school. That explains why a bicycle is first on her wish list. On two is a telephone. In third place are roller skates. A hip bag also seems handy to her.  I suspect she wants to put her phone in there while she goes biking. In case she forgot to charge it, she wants a power bank. Finally, a set of earphones. Then she can listen to her favorite music during her bike rides. I think.... As I indicated, I don't know her, haven't talked to her.  That is something you cannot, or very difficult to take away, dreaming. It costs nothing, you can do that as much as you want, whatever you want. In your dreams everything is possible, nothing is impossible. Or am I confusing it with fantasizing now? For me it is something essential, it is what keeps me going, what gives me energy and courage to continue on in the present round-about.  Besides being part of a wonderful, fascinating and cha

Never has the ticking of the rain on the window sounded more beautiful and blissful than today. Finally, after weeks of dryness, and sometimes unbearable heat, we are getting some coolness. I hope it stays like this for a while. In the rain, you can take bike rides and walks. In the heat, that's not a good idea. I'm really looking forward to get outside a bit more, with Nina and also on my own. Over the past few days, the list of mapped out routes has only gotten longer. It's time to shorten it.  After a 10-day vacation, I retreated to our attic. 10 days with 5 people in the house is intense. At least for me. Which is not due to those four other people. It's totally my own thing. Something I do have to deal with more often than not.   Nina recently shared an essay on trauma. How it continues to profoundly affect your life and how people usually try to put a positive spin on it. How you should use a traumatic event to become "stronger". Reading this essay trigg

Nog nooit klonk het getik van de regen op het venster zo mooi en zalig als vandaag. Eindelijk, na weken droogte, en met momenten ondraaglijke hitte, krijgen we wat verkoeling. Ik hoop dat het nu even zo blijft. In de regen kan je fiets- & wandeltochten ondernemen. In de hitte is dat geen goed idee. Ik kijk er echt naar uit om wat meer naar buiten te kunnen, met Nina en ook op mijn eentje. De afgelopen dagen is het lijstje uitgestippelde routes alleen maar langer geworden. Dringend tijd dus om het in te korten Na een 10-tal dagen vakantie heb ik me op onze zolder teruggetrokken. 10 dagen met 5 in huis is heftig. Voor mij althans. Wat niet op het conto van die vier andere mensen geschreven kan worden. Het is helemaal mijn eigen ding. Iets waar ik wel vaker mee geconfronteerd word. Nina deelde onlangs een essay over trauma. Hoe het je leven grondig blijft beïnvloeden en hoe men tracht er veelal een positieve insteek aan te geven. Hoe je een traumatische gebeurtenis moet gebruiken om