Little Traveler: The Memoirs of July

The  rain has been pouring down heavily over the skyscrapers, the crowds of mankind, the insilence roads, and all over the mother land of Earth. What kind of warmness is under the embrace of the cold rain? The warmness under the rain is so untouchable anyway. How does it feel to embrace the rain? And the sense of embracing the rain is just too much in some cases, the thunderstorm create fearful face but at the same time the song of the rain and its 'petrichor' (the smell of the rain) give me more sense and such a strange warmness. 

Gloomy. When the four seasons countries own the winter with the sense of gloom, I guess ones with only two seasons have to accept the fact that they ain’t got any show of snow on the ground. Yet, they do have such gloomy rainy days all over.

Under the trace of rain, I just remember you. The water was pouring down the sky. I gazed up to where the source of the water. The sky. I imagine you were there looking at me, or perhaps you were gazing back at me. How could we gaze each other? Of course, we gaze everytime we look upon the sky. We are all under the same sky, aren’t we? We just live in different land across the seas. 

The rains bring all the memories of sweet Walla Walla and  the rainy Seattle. The memoirs of July gently embraces me, feels like the summer breeze to me. I always remember. July is your birthday. July is the independence day. July is the day when I was leaving 1207 the Bonsella home, coming back to my initial point. Under the memoir of July, could I just remember you once? I miss the pat of the cat, the hails, the snow, the leaves in the fall, the cheerful fragrance of the spring, and the song of summer that bring everything back in the memoirs of July. July is fully yours. All the memoirs of July is yours.

Spokane. It was our final travel. I always love Spokane as its magic of the pathways and the roads and the creeks as if they were telling me fairy tales and the broadaway music. As if I were watching Lion King lively or in a great amazement enjoying the Fiddler on the Roof. As if it took me to Withworth. My dreamy world of literature once I fell in love with Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, LF Baum, Walt Whitman, Jane Austen, and more.

Yesterday it’s as if I saw Lili’s smile on this little face. That little girl really reminded me on you and the memoirs of July. I know how much you love when I surprise you with your favorite stuff. The art stuff that always makes you  so passionate. Such a way you loves the time we were together sharing the world of clay, water color, painting the room, writing and reading stories, while at the same keeping ourselves warm nearby the fireplace. I saw your smile though I couldn’t recognize it was really you. I couldn’t believe I saw that smile when I realize it couldn’t be you. It was just another little girl who was too happy to get a present of drawing tools with the water color in her hand. Well, I just realized it could be de javu of the memoirs of July in July this year.

Why, memoirs of July, so emotional? It was too much for a little traveler to learn within one year, feeling completely brand new into the new life, her new family and new home. However, a traveler will always find a way home, a way to the initial point. That time when I had to leave was such a memoir of July when our family relationship feels about to start. The family of mankind in the two worlds are just beginning. I wish I could have both in my life at the same time. Thus, sharing our family in the future is my big wish.

Thank you for the memory, thank you for the melody. I keep it always inside of me, a place where the worlds seem too small to hold our togetherness in our heart. Once again, thank you for the memoirs of  July. I hope you have a merry birthday. If theres any birthday present i could give, if theres anything I can give, it would be nothing with everything we have been gone through. It would be nothing more than this little key that I hold and the lovely letters that we shared in Spokane. I still couldn’t believe we kept exactly the same post card  until this final yet beginning day of amazing life.

I always keep yours. I love the way we share the same thought and could share each other the same postcard just exactly the same postcard with the similar picture and quotation without any coincidence we kept it from the latest Spring journey. May you have a greatest time in your life within your birthday, may you always be well. I love you, my dearest Mom and Liliana :)

Thank you Mom, reading your writing makes me find a peaceful soul, feeling safe and sound :”) Perhaps theres nothing greater than your love to me that I could give for your special day.

Early Summer, Beginning of July, Spokane, Washington

At the farewell travel, a final day

Isna~

Surprise! I have had this card for you for a long time-ever since I saw how much you loved it in Seattle. :) My reflection...

You are a young woman of incredible strength, courage, and integrity. This year I saw you open your arms to change, allowing others to help and support you, you learned about true friendship, importance of family, and persistence in following your dream! :)

Isna~ you have been an amazing sister to Lili she will forever love you and hold you close in her heart. 

For me~ I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being all you are, and all that you’ve become. You stepped out of your comfort zone-and with such grace and style. You will forever be embedded in our hearts, in our family, and in our life. You are our family! <3 You know Sunday is-when we see each other again- We will see you in Indonesia or in the US for college. Remember to always follow your dream. Keep reading the message on the back, and know, you always have a key to our home. The door is always open. I am so proud of you. I love you.

<3 Mom & Lili

P.S.: The reason why I really love this postcard is the message and the picture on it. I kept it until my last day and I gave mine to her. And she gave me the same post card. And it feels so so lovely! Heres what the pstcard says:

Searching for Ourselves

“Searching for ourselves is like asking, ‘What is my purpose in life here besides being a parent, a brother, a sister, a father, an uncle, a friend? What is it that I need to do while I’m on this earth, the turtle islnad?’ And when you search deep part of yourself, you find your answer, which no one else can tell you, and the answer is that you have the gift to look after your family as long as there is life in you. This is your purpose. For all of us were born not only with life but with a gift; search for that gift and it will lead you in the right direction, toward the right people. Meeting the right person is the first step and that right person is you. Dive deep into yourself and your heart, and you will know the answer and feel proud of what you are supposed to do.”

Acrilyc on canvas 24” x 36”, 1993 Roy Thomas