Music Therapy – evalunes

Gracias a la vida

One way to learn and improve a new language is to listen to music. In my case: songs in Spanish. Since last week it’s the same song over and over again… I already knew the song since I’ve always loved the performer’s voice: Mercedes Sosa.

You can’t escape from the intensity of her voice -why would you?- it takes you and keeps you in the present moment. It shows you it doesn’t matter what happens around you, it’s not important at all. The music and words are. A pure and simply beautiful song (written by Violeta Parra).

So sit down, turn off the noise and give yourself a moment to listen to “Gracias a la vida” by Mercedes Sosa (please scroll down to watch the video).

With Love & Gratitude,

Gracias a la Vida

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro
perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado el sonido y el abedecedario
con él las palabras que pienso y declaro
Madre Amigo Hermano y luz alumbrando,
la ruta del alma del que estoy amando

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados
con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos,
playas y desiertos montañas y llanos
y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me dio el corazón que agita su marco
cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano,
cuando miro el bueno tan lejos del malo,
cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto,
así yo distingo dicha de quebranto
los dos materiales que forman mi canto
y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto
y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto

Gracias a la Vida
Gracias a la Vida
Gracias a la Vida
Gracias a la Vida

Thanks to Life

Thanks to life, which has given me so much
it gave me two beams of light (my eyes) and when I open them,
I perfectly distinguish black from white
and in the sky above, her depth filled with stars
and from within the multitude
the man I love

Thanks to life, which has given me so much
it gave me sound and the alphabet with these words I think and declare:
Mother, Friend, Brother and the light that shines
the route of the soul from which I love

Thanks to life, which has given me so much
it gave me the ability to walk with my tired feet
with them I walked cities and puddles
valleys and deserts, mountains and planes
and your house, your street and your patio

Thanks to life, which has given me so much
it gave me the heart, that agitates his mark,
when I see the fruit of the human mind,
when I see the good so far away from the bad,
when I see within the clarity of your eyes

Thanks to life, which has given me so much
it gave me laughter and it gave me tears
in this way I distinguish happiness from sadness
from the two materials my song is shaped
and your song, which is the same song
and everyone’s song, which is my very own song

Thanks to life
Thanks to life
Thanks to life
Thanks to life

<< >>

Saudade

Is it possible to fall in love with a hhmmm… a word? Oh yes, that sure is possible. I do know now. It happened to me. We never met before. Never heard of each other before. Until I was listening to music on youtube and it was love at first sight. There it was and I immediately had to know more about it. It’s the title of an album of Thievery Corporation, their music I have played for many hours since we live on Ibiza. I appreciate this music a lot. A nice blend of triphop, dub reggea, acid jazz, Brazilian bossa nova. Their last album totally breathes the meaning of the word I just fell in love with: Saudade.

We’re heading to the last days of the year 2015. I don’t know but for me always a vague period of year. Counting the days and thinking: Come on, go ahead, let’s finish it off, chop chop!, on the one hand. Oh no, almost another year gone, what have I done with this year, it’s all going to fast for me, before we know we’re all old, so please stay, on the other hand. Looks like I just having a serious love-hate relationship with this time of year.

I realize that these mixed feelings are a deep feeling of nostalgia. This actually all started when we lost our dad in December 1999. now 16 years ago. This week when I discovered this album and listened to it on youtube it exactly summarized my December-melancholic-feeling: Saudade.

What does it say?

“Saudade is a Portuguese and Galician word for a feeling of nostalgic longing for something or someone that one was fond of and which has been lost. It often carries a fatalist tone and a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never really return. It was once described as “the love that remains” or “the love that stays” after someone is gone.”

I think I never have read such a beautiful word and meaning ever before. It has a certain softness, fragile but not weak, that says to me: It’s all good. Because the love remains. How many years will pass, it doesn’t matter. The many December months I will experience..The love will always stay. It’s about finding strength in vulnerable moments. It’s about me. It’s about you. It’s about life.

It’s about love.

Saudade.

Staring inside..

It’s been a while since the last post. Why? Did I sweat too much? Did I work 6 days a week to serving the enormous stream of tourists that visited the island? Or did I lie in a hammock the whole day? Very close.. The Summer flew by this year. Not too much was happening in my life this Summer though. Often at days, it was way too hot to do anything except for having a swim and multiple cold showers to cool off. Anyway, I shouldn’t complian. It was a beautiful time and now we are in the middle of Autumn I love the island even more. My second Autumn on Ibiza.

The light, the colourful skies, the clouds, the soft temperature during daytime..it’s still possible to have a swim in the sea and only the people who are dwelling on the island are left. The island turns more inward, like Autumn stands for. Thoughts and actions turn more inward in Autumn. No more bright shining, harsh sun and busy, open sounds this time of year, but a deep sense of calmness flows around. Farewell to what has been: a beautiful warm Summer with many promises. In Autumn we can shake off old patterns and make new plans by looking inward.

Looking inward and realize what you have will give you a peaceful mind and more satisfaction. I think it’s so much easier though to follow this principle at a place which is surrounded by lots of beauty. Still, anyone at most places can do it. Besides, the realization you have nothing to run for, like war and violence, like tons of people have to these days, is already a wonderful gift.

Look inward and realize what you have and you’ll see there’s so much to be grateful for… such as a big sister who was very ill and on her way to recovery now.

Over the Moon…

So this is Luna. Dorus found her at the bins in Santa Gertrudis two weeks ago. He was biking all the way from Cala Tarida on tour to San Juan. What can you do? A special surprise it was when he entered the house and I heard the sound of unstoppable meoowing. His bag…The meoowing came from that bag! I was not immediately amused by this, but soon I got overwhelmed by an enormous feeling of sympathy. This sweet little creature dumped in the bin or maybe she slipped away? Who can tell. But we need to take care of her and keep her alive! Fortunately a girl close to us could help us with some kitten milkpowder and the things you need to feed a kitten.. I met her late in the evening at the café here in Cala Tarida where she handed over the milk, the teats, bottle…hahaa we felt like real mums. The kitty was sooo hungry when I gave her the little bottle.

What really surprised me is the power in this tiny little body. So much life.

The next morning I went to the vet to buy a storage of milkpowder and the days after that to buy new teats at the petshop in San Antonio as Luna broke all the teats and she still does. Lovable as she is..it’s a fierce one 🙂 So I decided to let it this way after cycling to San Antonio multiple times. I became a regular costumer at Eden, the pet shop, the last weeks. The broken teat works perfectly fine now…it gives a bit of a milky mess, but a lot better than living at the bins without nothing to drink Dorus says..(annoying 😉 And it’s kind of cute when Luna is licking these tiny milky paws of hers. What’s not to love?

Liefje, our Mastercat from Amsterdam, doesn’t like her that much (yet?). Hissing and looking all surprised and at times hugely annoyed. I feel really sorry for him, but need to give it time. The arrival of Luna has caused some changes in our lives too. That sounds serious..like we’re having a real baby hahaa..Honestly, I need to feed her every 3/3,5 hours, also at night. So I need to check the time frequently again (something I didn’t do much anymore here on Ibiza). And there it all goes wrong. Time flies even more and more! Dorus helps as well and took her a couple of days to Casita Verde where he worked on building a chicken house of waste (so I could finish work :). He put her there which was great as she could follow exactly what Dorus did..

I love this little creature and want to keep her alive. And it works. She’s alive and kicking 🙂 Still, I feel worried that I find her dead in the box where she sleeps at night and at times during the day (like a baby kittens need their sleep badly)….But I have a savior to help me stop this crazy thought: This wonderful, magical song I recently discovered from this amazing singer Gregory Porter. I played it over and over again. Just listen and feel the magic ❤️

There will be no love that’s dying here
The bird that flew in through my window
Simply lost his way.
He broke his wing I helped him heal and then he flew away
Well the death of love is everywhere
But I wont let it be,
There will be no love dying here for me.
There will be no love that’s dying here
The mirror that fell from the wall was tragedy that’s all,
It rests upon a rusty nail
Before it made it’s fall
Well the bones of love are every where but I wont let it be,
There will be no love dying here for me.
There will be no that’s dying here
Four flowers is my aging faces, not a sign within
I payed for three a sweet old lady gave me four instead
There’s some doubt that’s out about this love but I wont let it be,
There will be no love that’s dying here for me.
There will be no love that’s dying here
The bird that flew in through my window
Simply lost his way
He broke his wing I helped him heal and then he flew away
Well the death of love is everywhere
But I wont let it be,
There will be no love dying here for me
No-o-o-o oh
There will be no love that’s dying for me
There will be no love that’s dying for you and me
Oh there will be no love dying here
No-o not for me
There will be no love that’s dying here
No-o-o
There will be no love that’s dying here
No no no no no no no no no no no
There will be no lo-o-o-ve dying for me.

The Best Things In Life Are Free

Saying goodbye to things and moments which are gone. How are you with this?

…Decided to put our Amsterdam house on the market and preparing it for possible buyers at the moment. Tidying up things in the house. 39 years through my hands.

Such beautiful loving things I have seen again after all these years this past week..family pictures, sweet notes from my dad, my mum who gave me many children books, my first ballet shoes, leotard with matching leg warmers, notebooks of primary school, tons of (birthday)-cards from my sister, friends and family, neverending Madonna stuff, music tapes, my walkman, old school agenda’s, a little diary which I wrote when I was 10 years old, school papers, law school books and exams, first contract…and many things more.

I hardly could sleep these past nights. So many moments. The memories kept me awake. Times of joy and bliss, but like any other human life times of grief and misfortune have passed by too.

It’s all about saying goodbye to a time which is gone and never comes back. According to the ancient Greeks it’s Katharsis. This farewell of material things is supposed to be “purifying”. It makes space for new inspiration, new experiences. Precious moments I carry with me and I believe there’s no need to say goodbye to these. All of them I keep in my heart.

Yes the house…I love this place. I always will. I’m convinced someone will fall in love with this superbeautiful, small apartment with a spacy atmospheric “Mediterranean-garden”-experience whilst living a city-life. I will miss you house. I’ve had one of the best times of my life here. Our love nest

🙂

I feel thankful and heartbroken for all these beautiful things. Especially now we know my beloved sister is safe at last – the growth in her liver is benign – and my mum turns 75 today (happy birthday beautiful mum!) , I must think of this: