949. You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person. ~Alec Waug

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Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of
a bridge and lean over to watch the
river slipping slowly away beneath you,
you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.
~From WINNIE THE POOH by A.A. Milne

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What is it, I wonder, that makes one fall in love with a place without ever having been there? Was it because I was born before the world lost all its innocence, or because I was naïve from having lived a sheltered existence in my young, formative years, or because I’m a dreamer and a romantic who loves fairy tale stories with happy endings, or because at 13 I saw a movie with William Holden, Humphrey Bogart, and Audrey Hepburn and fell in love with the place of magical bridges, glorious sunsets, and a beautiful river? Or is it because I fell in love at 18 with a song bearing a French title and written by a French singer/songwriter? Or because I’ve always loved art and sculpture and beauty, and the place I fell for is a paragon of those things? Or because I studied the French language in school and fell in love with the sounds of the words and the pictures in my text books? Or because I read a novel by Earnest Hemingway and fell in love with him and the city he adored and wrote about? Or is it all those things, especially when seen through the eyes of a sentimental, perhaps even sappy, free-spirited, hopeful, love junkie? Mais bien sûr, oui, oui, et oui!!!

Paris, it is you of whom I speak, and I’m that girl/woman that for more than 50 years has had an ongoing love affair with you, an affair I might add that started half a century before I ever met you in person. And now that I have spent time on two different occasions in your confines, I’m more in love with you than ever. An ex-student and fellow blogger, Victo(Behind the White Coat) at https://doctorly.wordpress.com, partially described my feelings when he wrote that “Sometimes you go to a city and it becomes a part of you. Then you go back and you feel as if you are now, somehow, a part of it.” The only difference is that you became both a part of me and I a part of you at the same time, and I will forever hold you close and dear to my heart. I may shed tears now for your recent tragedy, but I will always celebrate with joy and a smile your grandeur that yet stands in place. And I shall lift you up daily in prayers for safety.

But let all who take refuge in you(Lord) be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. ~Psalm 5:11  ✝

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25 thoughts on “949. You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person. ~Alec Waug”

  3. a beautiful heartfelt tribute–your single thread, which binds with the myriad of other threads of love and tribute…all of which are woven together creating an encompassing blanket of unity and love—it’s what is of the good that remains in this fallen world—the warming goodness which wraps and enfolds that which is right and honorable together, warding off the coldness of evil and hate…

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    • For me too, Gigi! Gertrude Stein once said that America was her country and Paris was her hometown. That’s exactly the way I feel too! God-willing, I will return to her again one day. I hope you can too. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤

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    • Thank you, Wendy, I’m so glad you did! ❤ And I so hope you can visit Paris one day. Maybe it's just me, but I cannot imagine any more magical place on earth than Paris and now Giverny after our last visit. Blessings and hugs to you as well, my friend, Natalie 🙂 ❤

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  9. I have fallen in love at first sight with places of nature, and with the Good Shepherd stained glass window at much church, but your words make me wonder if we can fall in love with a place we have never seen, if someone describes that place so lovingly as you do. This is a very moving post.

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    • She does, for sure, Robin. I’ve actually got this song by her as the ring tone on my cell phone. And I just love it when I hear it. The world is very confused and frightening, but don’t let that steal your joy, Robin. Trust the Lord and all will be well.
      🙂 ❤

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