Out with the old, in with the new

I have occasionally asked myself, why write this blog? Ultimately I am not sure I know the answer. I suspect I have taken to writing because it is a therapeutic exercise to kick old habits and bring new ones into my life. After having suffered an enormous loss, writing has become a cathartic exercise, a way to purge old negative feelings. It is entirely possible that no one will ever read these lines. That is fine. There is no need for anyone to read these lines. I do not write them as a way to explain myself to anyone but to myself. I am not writing with anyone in mind. Some of the lines pertaining to ancestry, I hope, that one day they might serve he elusive purpose of reminding my children - and their children - of where they come from.  In other words, perhaps with the exception of my children, of my family,  these lines are but for me. If anyone else reads these lines and has comments, well, the world community is large and interesting.

But nonetheless these lines are dedicated to Noam, Yoni, Yael and Ilan, and to my beloved circle of friends, who keep me alive in so many with infinite love. here are certain topics which are of interest to me.

Who awoke my interest in writing? Well, certainly my daughter. Last year, for my birthday,  she gave me a book titled "Papa, Tell Me About Your Life". It took me a bit of time, months in fact, to complete this book full of questions and blank pages but in the end, when her own birthday approached, and I had finished filling its blank pages, I felt like I needed to continue the writing.

Here I am, sitting in my studio, looking at the alpine scenery and wondering about destiny and the path of life. I am wondering how my life's path took me from a small town in the Andes of Bolivia, reached the highest echelons of American medicine, and then ended up in a small town in front of the Swiss Alps, writing these lines.

These lines are about acceptance, grace, exploration. Writing is not always comfortable. But difficult though it might be, writing is one of the ways one learns to express passions and desires. I am glad the good life has given me the possibility of feeling wonder and have a heart full of love. I am thankful for the ability to nurture wonderful friendships, for having truly extraordinary children, whose lives and essence accompany me in every waking hour, and are present often in my dreams. I am thankful for feeling, for generosity, for being able to enjoy the air of the mountains, for being alive.

#newyear #resolutions #old