[Lekooks] a letter from Paris from Lynne's sister

[Christina White]

Thanks for sharing her touching letter. ⚜



On Wednesday, November 18, 2015, Lynne Smith via Lekooks <lekooks at lekook.org>
wrote:

> Thought you might like to read my sister janeen's reflections
>
> dear everyone,
>
> just to say thanks for reaching out, checking to see if i was safe, since
> friday's incident. i was/am safe. up late. definitely a little shaken. but
> safe, for sure.
>
> today is the 3rd day of france being in an official state of mourning, so
> even the tuileries garden—normally filled with so much light and shadow and
> people passing by—is under lock right now, looking very s.t.i.l.l. (like a
> still-life). the energy on the streets feels heavier— less bustling, more
> sober—and the morning métro had none of the typical chatter.
>
> maybe just like you and millions across paris and the world, i am
> wandering around in my head, trying to construct for myself a narrative
> that feels meaningful and relevant; some understanding and/or
> interpretation—i'd take either—not only of the world "out there" and its
> complex, political/historical landscape; and not only of the psychological
> landscape of terrorist social networks as "polarization enterpreneurs;" but
> also trying to recompose my personal day-to-day, human relationship to
> those landscapes, as well as to my life (including the choices i make in
> the world) and, most of all, to my (inner) self.
>
> although friday's incident happened, unambiguously, here in paris—paris
> being a deliberate, dialed-in, isis target—in fact, it didn't happen to me
> any more than it happened to you. not really. of course, in theory, i
> could've been sitting in that café, or the concert hall, or the stadium.
> but, because i wasn't, the danger and risk of that massacre lives as no
> greater a threat for me (due to my proximity) than it lives for you. i
> certainly don't feel i have earned the right to the sympathy pouring out of
> so many people's hearts over the weekend—at least no more than anyone else
> has earned it, beyond those affected directly— and the 129 now dead. the
> outpouring of sympathy was the vibration of your own human heart/s, and
> sort of crescendoed into a love song to humanity, voice by voice.
>
> you and i (and everyone) are all french at this moment— all of us in the
> world. whether we happen to be walking the sober streets of paris or
> watching the streets on the news, we're all bearing witness to the same
> crazy world in front of us. all of us trying to put complicated puzzle
> pieces together, re-jigger ourselves, emotionally, and continue leading
> lives, today, with meaning, courage, and the same dreams and ideals we held
> true to before friday night.
>
> amidst all the uncertainty, here's a few things i know for sure:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *the french word for target is "cible." the tuileries garden, under lock,
> is like a cage. human life is not sacred to everyone. jigsaw puzzles with
> missing pieces are harder to put together. evil isn't in the world; it's in
> ourselves. la belle équipe is on rue de charonne. intention is everything.
> candles burn softly. church bells and sirens share the same air waves.
> decoding motive is an art form. "feeling safe" is a subjective
> interpretation; "safety" is objective. 129 people were slaughtered. "vive
> la république; vive la france" is more than a *lick-on* political motto.
> the opposite of love is not hate, but fear. natural disasters are tragic,
> but are not terrorist acts. the external world contains uncertainty. you
> and i are part of the external world. candle wicks burn differently. loves
> means holding the light for each other, internally.*
>
> let's keep holding the light for the sake of each other.
>
> love from paris (and me),
>
>
> You can *instantly* unsubscribe from these emails by clicking here
> <http://kocony.cmail20.com/t/r-u-zhhlhdy-kieltxy-r/>.
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lekook.org/pipermail/lekooks_lekook.org/attachments/20151118/af734877/attachment.htm>