Little Moments

The past 2 weekends I've been able to take little moments and do a couple of special things.

Last weekend I celebrated the upcoming arrival of my friend's fourth baby. Four, I know! I grew up in a family of four children, so I know what it is like to be one of those siblings. Alas, it will not be my gift to know what it is to be the mother of four. In any case, the arrival of a new life deserves celebration so we went to a wonderful restaurant in Brookside called Avenues Bistro. I must recommend this restaurant. It is a European restaurant with a wonderful assortment of soups, salads, sandwiches, quiche, entrees and desserts. My favorite items so far are the crab cake sandwich and chocolate gateau. Go at lunch time...the prices are lower. And if you just want a little treat simply have coffee and dessert.

My second little moment came this weekend. Recently, I came across the information for an exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Beautiful Daughters. The exhibit contains photographs of Indian women. I'm not sure how it happened that I have an interest in things Indian. I don't even really have the time to pursue the interest (my husband has eaten at a local Indian restaurant and we keep talking about going...soon, soon!), but there it is! I'm sure it began with the gift of a friendship with a dear Indian friend whom I've known since junior high. What is funny is we don't even talk about India that often! Occasionally we'll mention a book we've read by an Indian author or a movie we've seen, but that is the extent of it.

Beautiful Daughters combines two projects from the artist, Fazal Sheikh, one about Indian widows living in an ashram and one about young wives and daughters subject to mistreatment. The pictures of the women are mostly of their faces, some of their hands. The stories of the women are written next to the pictures. Some of their realities are difficult, although difficult doesn't begin to describe it, so if the stories are too much to bear the viewer can simply look at the photographs.

The exhibit made me so grateful for what God has spared me from, for his Mercy. It made me so grateful for what my daughter is spared from. In the pictures of these young girls, who are my daughter's age, none of them are smiling. They are beautiful girls, but they are not smiling. I can't imagine my daughter without her smile.

It was a sweet, quiet (!) moment for me to enjoy in the new section of the art museum (which I've been longing to see), and then I made my way out to the beautiful lawn where my husband and children were waiting to enjoy some sweet, loud (!) moments with me.

Comments

Susanna said…
OK, so Avenue Bistro is on my to try list the next time we're in KC and we're child-free!:) Maybe we could plan that sometime instead of our usual Waldos!:)

And I love your blurp about me; too sweet! I'll have to tell my family about the Nelson exhibit.
Abby said…
What kind of crazy nut has four kids?!?!?! (-;