Balancing on the Edge
“How’s your Portuguese friend?” Eus asks while he’s feeding sweet potatoes through the slicer. As he glances at the guest in the kitchen, he suddenly loses grip on the handle and “Ouch!” Eus quickly pulls his hand back, holding it under the cold tap as it bleeds profusely. The guest hastens away at the sight of blood while other guests rushed into the kitchen to offer help. Calm as ever, Eus reassures them not to worry. “It will be fine,” he says. Just a moment of distraction and things went wrong on the edge. Balancing between focusing on the guest and slicing sweet potatoes.
Balancing between Being Sharp and Deep Calm
In this way, we notice in our off-season period that we shift between being alert and then falling into deep calm. Moment by moment, we balance between the two. During the season, we mainly need to oversee the daily operations of the B&B while ensuring that the guests are satisfied. Now, the focus is solely on taking care of animals, home, and hearth. At the end of a dry and sunny year with little rain, we remain vigilant for safety around the house.
This weekend, Portugal has been put on high alert with 6,600 additional firefighters, boots on the ground, and the deployment of helicopters. An orange code has been issued due to fire hazard. As a precaution, we have cut down all the acacia trees on our property. Moreover, at our urging, the municipality was able to mobilize our neighbors to remove the eucalyptus trees surrounding us.
Balancing between Care and Trust
By living together with nature and its elements, we are acutely aware that we can lose everything in the blink of an eye. Even though we continue to invest in the house, we value what is dear to us — our family, friends, guests, and of course, our pets — even more. But you must also be able to provide them with the necessary safety. The ongoing drought makes me tend to balance between (care) and trusting that everything will turn out well. After all, the local fire department has proven their worth thus far.
High Wire Performer
It’s like learning to balance through life as a tightrope walker. We experienced this differently in the Netherlands. Although we are well insured against calamities here, living in the Netherlands felt like dwelling in an eternal womb of certainty and care. Safety nets all around. Through our guests, we know that the current situation in the Netherlands is different. Uncertainty reigns for other reasons.
Valuable Life
Knowing that we lead an invaluable life, we seize the day and take nothing for granted. With senses wide open, we smell the changing seasons. Every day, I allow my eyes to feast on the beauty around me, sharing it with you on Facebook. Just by looking around us, we feel how rich we truly are.
Carpe Diem
Tomorrow, my parents are coming to visit us. How special it is that both of them are still here. My father is a true acrobat when it comes to tightrope walking. Since 2004, an immunocytoma has been discovered in his blood, a protein that shouldn’t be there, cancer. Probably due to his positive and vital approach to life, he is a marvel to the medical professionals. In January, he will turn ninety and is still tireless! Living on the edge and trusting that everything will turn out well is his motto.
That we are happy here, we remain keenly aware. After all, the knife can cut both ways. Carpe diem and count your blessings.
How do you manage to balance on the edge? Do you trust life or are you mainly vigilant? What blessings do you count?
