MOONINSPAIN

When a tragedy hits too close to the home and heart.

My mother passed away in April. After holding her hand as she took her last breath, I flew back to Spain to immediately begin our 14 day Rick Steve’s Spain tour followed by the 12 day Portugal tour. The rest of the summer was filled with beautiful family visits and a two week road trip through the French and Spanish Basque country. Through all of this, my heart and creative soul was on hold while I attempted to swim through the phases of grief, and process a recently unblocked adolescent trauma with the help of EMDR. 

On Wednesday, as I read the news of the tragic accident on the Glória funicular in Lisbon, something emotional snapped inside of me. Tears that had been locked up inside me for months poured down my face as I sent messages to friends, colleagues and family who could easily be in Lisboa and possibly riding the Elevador da Glória. After receiving the responses, I sat down to send my love and energy to those who lost their lives or were injured, their families and friends, and to the city of Lisbon. Lisboa is the birthplace of my husband and a city that has always felt like home to me. I first studied there as a young woman, thirty years ago. My heart felt like it was being torn in a million pieces as I read the continuing news about the catastrophe.

It is not the first time I have experienced this feeling. I will never forget a hot day in August, 2017 when I received news of the terrorist attack on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. I had just gone for a swim in the Mediterranean on the coast of Granada. I laid down on my towel and checked my phone casually, only to find a list of messages asking if I was safe.  Eight hundred miles away, along the same body of water, fifteen people had been killed and over a hundred injured after someone drove a vehicle down the most famous pedestrian street in Spain. The same street where I walked every two weeks with my groups, with friends, and alone. I could not breathe deeply until I found out that everyone I knew was safe. It was the same feeling I had on Wednesday when I saw the news about my querida Lisboa. 

My heartfelt love goes out to the deceased, all those who are mourning their loss, and to the survivors. I am grateful for the emails and messages I received from all of the people who were concerned about my whereabouts. 

Many people are still in shock and waiting for the investigations to supply some answers.  But, the deep wound on Lisbon and everyone affected will remain throughout history. 

It is so important to hug our loved ones and to be grateful for each day that we are still on earth. Watching the news of this accident at a place where I frequent for work and pleasure provokes an inexplicable emotion. For the second time in just a few years. 

GlÓRIA 

My mother passed away in April. After holding her hand as she took her last breath, I flew back to Spain to immediately begin our 14 day Rick Steve’s Spain tour followed by the 12 day Portugal tour. The rest of the summer was filled with beautiful family visits and a two week road trip through the French and Spanish Basque country. Through all of this, my heart and creative soul was on hold while I attempted to swim through the phases of grief, and process a recently unblocked adolescent trauma with the help of EMDR. 

On Wednesday, as I read the news of the tragic accident on the Glória funicular in Lisbon, something emotional snapped inside of me. Tears that had been locked up inside me for months poured down my face as I sent messages to friends, colleagues and family who could easily be in Lisboa and possibly riding the Elevador da Glória. After receiving the responses, I sat down to send my love and energy to those who lost their lives or were injured, their families and friends, and to the city of Lisbon. Lisboa is the birthplace of my husband and a city that has always felt like home to me. I first studied there as a young woman, thirty years ago. My heart felt like it was being torn in a million pieces as I read the continuing news about the catastrophe.

It is not the first time I have experienced this feeling. I will never forget a hot day in August, 2017 when I received news of the terrorist attack on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. I had just gone for a swim in the Mediterranean on the coast of Granada. I laid down on my towel and checked my phone casually, only to find a list of messages asking if I was safe.  Eight hundred miles away, along the same body of water, fifteen people had been killed and over a hundred injured after someone drove a vehicle down the most famous pedestrian street in Spain. The same street where I walked every two weeks with my groups, with friends, and alone. I could not breathe deeply until I found out that everyone I knew was safe. It was the same feeling I had on Wednesday when I saw the news about my querida Lisboa. 

My heartfelt love goes out to the deceased, all those who are mourning their loss, and to the survivors. I am grateful for the emails and messages I received from all of the people who were concerned about my whereabouts. 

Many people are still in shock and waiting for the investigations to supply some answers.  But, the deep wound on Lisbon and everyone affected will remain throughout history. 

It is so important to hug our loved ones and to be grateful for each day that we are still on earth. Watching the news of this accident at a place where I frequent for work and pleasure provokes an inexplicable emotion. For the second time in just a few years.  Regardless of how sad, it has brought me back into my own being and heart.

We are all Lisbon.