Dreams Of The Future

Ailyn will graduate high school just after her 18th birthday. She'll take one to two years off school, "because I've been in school my whole life and I think I should take a break before starting more school." At age 20 (possibly 19 – depending on which version of the timeline you go with because she's a little fuzzy on this part), she'll start college in Paris at a school that emphasizes art and/or performing arts. When she graduates, "then I will start my career as an artist. Paris is the perfect place for a career as an artist, don't you think? Because I never feel inspired back home and here, it's so inspiring, so I'll have a lot of ideas to create the art I want."

Sennen in turn was inspired by Ailyn's vision and as we headed from the Boulevard St Germaine down to the Seine and turned north toward the Ile St. Louis, and responded, "Well, I want to open a restaurant in Rome and I'll hire all my friends to be servers and maybe some can be sous chefs."

"You guys can certainly do these things if you want, I'm very impressed!" I said.

"But Sennen, you need to be in Paris  - what about our business together?!" Ailyn said with worry.

"Or you could do art in Rome…. it's also a very inspiring place for art….. Although Paris is a very good place to cook. So maybe," he began to concede.

"Why do you need Sennen in the same city as you?" I asked Ailyn.

"Because we're going to work together. I'm going to bake and he's going to sell my baking in his restaurant. I mean, my full-time job will be my art, but we also agreed he'll sell my baking," Ailyn explained.

"Fair enough," I responded. "So does that mean I should move to Patmos when you guys do this, so I'll be nearby and can all see each other easily?"

"Yes!" Ailyn said. "And then we can go to Patmos anytime we like!

They began to settle into the idea of Sennen in Rome, Ailyn in Paris and me on Patmos until Ailyn realized she has other people she loves including her mom, grandparents, aunts, cousins and friends. 

"It might be hard to be here, because I'd miss them….Or I can just plan to fly back a lot to visit…." And that moment when I thought she might roll back was swept away.

After another minute's consideration, she decided the best thing was to move everyone to Europe and place them each in their own country. Emily would live in Turkey.

"I have a feeling Mommy will not want to live in Turkey. Don't you think?" I pointed out.

"But if you have Greece then it makes sense to have Mommy in Turkey – it's near but different." Ailyn offered.

"Why does everyone have to be in their own country? Couldn't people be closer to each other if they want? Does everyone have to move?"

Both kids sort of shrugged this off and by the time we were crossing the bridge to the Ile St Louis, had placed Emily' parents in Israel, their aunt and cousins in London, my mom in Spain and there it sort of derailed.

What is clear is that Ailyn finds Paris inspiring enough to shift how she looks at her options for the future. Moreover, it was important for the kids to come up with some arrangement in which they felt some proximity to one another. 

Ailyn's mind was whirling from the Latin Quarter and seeing the Sorbonne and the Paris University Cite Campus there as we walked around some of the oldest parts of Paris. I led them toward the Ile St. Louis because it's this amazing, ancient, quiet neighborhood in the middle of everything. I've never understood why the Ile St. Louis so often gets overlooked when I think it's one of the great gems of Paris. 

By the time we finished walking the Ile St. Louis and observed a giant turtle basking at the Quay d'Orleans, we headed back to the Rive Gauche to get to the Tuileries for a walk from the Louvre down to the Place de la Concorde – one of my favorite walks in Paris. The kids needed a break, so we took a quick Uber downriver to the Tuileries and when the very nice Cameroonian driver let us out at the perfect stop below the Louvre where the gardens begin, the kids were overwhelmed.

I explained that what they were seeing was the Louvre and it had been the royal palace in Paris, inhabited by numerous French kings and enlarged over time.

"So all of this was for one guy and his family?!" Sennen asked.

"Well, not just that – it's also where they governed so palaces had the offices of government and room for visiting dukes and counts and marquises and so forth."

"Still, even with work, who needs all of that?! It's like stealing the people of France's money. There are homeless people – you could use some of that money to help them, not to build such a large palace for a king!"

"And now it's all full of art?!" Ailyn asked.

"Yes, now it's full of art and people can go see that art like we will on Wednesday."

I told them one of my favorite things about the Louvre was the building itself and if you walk around, you can find in the frescoes, statues and carvings on the building things left behind by kings over time – from the ministers of Louis XIII on one of the early expansions to the "N" of Louis Napoleon/Napoleon III on the outermost extensions and in a way, the building itself tells its story and the story of its times. They began inspecting the building carefully until the chilly breeze picked up so strongly, even the seagulls were struggling to navigate.

We decided to stroll to keep warm. It then dawned on the kids that everything they were looking at – numerous city blocks' worth of gardens and statues where once for the private enjoyment of a king and his court – and that struck both kids as unbelievable. When I walked on the grass, they told me I shouldn't do that. I explained that the Tuileries are now essentially a public park performing a similar function to Central Park in New York, providing a green space with art in the middle of a major city – and that I've seen kids playing soccer on the grass. 

As we began to traverse the walkway, we noticed the Christmas Market at the edge of the park – a favorite thing for the kids. Ailyn was complaining about the cold (a storm system is on its way into town and rain is predicted for the next several days), so we headed over for something to warm us up. I had hot chocolate in mind, but it ended up being Nutella-dipped churros for Ailyn, a Nutella crepe for me and hot chestnuts for Sennen – and then we sat and enjoyed looking at a fountain surrounded by marble statues.

By the time we resumed our walk and were part-way to the Place de la Concorde, the kids were ready to take a break. We headed back to our apartment for a rest – especially given our evening plans.

For New Year's Eve, we have reservations at a very nice restaurant with a special New Year's menu – right along the river with a view of Notre Dame. Our seating ends at 8:45, so we'll check out a nearby Christmas Market as part of Ailyn's ongoing shopping spree – and do what so many Parisians do on New Year's – stroll the city. The streets along the river, Champs-Elysees, Grand Boulevards and the Champ de Mars fill each New Year's with people walking. Then fireworks go off at midnight over the Seine.

Will Sennen and Ailyn make it for over three hours milling around Paris? Midnight seems daunting enough – but outdoors in the cold, walking? I'm not sure – but we're going to give it a try. Ailyn's not sure she really wants to go to midnight and I'm not forcing anyone. The night ahead remains an adventure.

Whatever happens, it's been an amazing end to the year. The opportunity to enjoy France with my kids has been such a blessing. Given their evolving plans for their future, I can tell it's had an impact on them – which is all I can really hope for. That and the enjoyment of the time together – which has also been wonderful. 

I can't say I'll miss 2023 – it was a challenging year. However, it's at least ending on a sweet note with the two people I love most in the most beautiful city in the world on a trip we'll always remember. Maybe it's a pivot. I'm going into 2024 with high hopes. There are changes in my work that I expect will lead to more happiness and success there. I'm moving houses to one that will be ideal for the kids. And of course there's always Patmos in the summer. 

I'm under no illusion that the stroke of midnight will magically make life better or easier, but new years and markers of time are opportunities for reflection and hope. I can always step into 2024 with intention and vision. Of all the things I'd like to see come to pass in 2024, I plan to prioritize the joy of love and connection – and cultivate more of it. Being with my kids in Paris when the clock strikes midnight is a great way to start.

Happy New Year and a wonderful 2024!