An Unusual Souvenir

Out in blogland some bloggers do Storytelling Sunday where they relate stories. They also suggest topics and today’s was “an unusual souvenir” That brought a story to mind.
   A while ago I had a chance to go to Provence, France with my friend Yrsa. Her cousin and boyfriend met us there and drove us all around from Nice to Monaco and all around  Provence. It was a wonderful experience and driving like that enabled us to see many sights that regular tourists would never know. We went out in the country and saw small villages and also visited larger cities. The pace was slow and we could take our time to really enjoy ourselves and immerse ourselves in the culture.
   One day we were in a small town shopping. Yrsa’s cousin and her boyfriend took a blanket and headed for the nearest park to relax while Yrsa and I explored the little shops. When we walked back to the park I noticed the plane trees that lined a large walkway in the park. On the ground was a leaf. Just a simple leaf. But to me it signified all that was right with people in European countries. They know how to stop and enjoy the moment. There is no hustle and bustle and hurry up the way it is here. Every moment is lived in the present. I got to participate in that for the week that I was there. I enjoyed it so much that when I got back to the states I didn’t want to come down from that peaceful high I’d been experiencing. I couldn’t turn on the tv or even listen to music on the radio. I had had silence. Blissful silence for a whole week and my mind was rested. For a solid week I avoided loudness. But eventually the world intruded as it always does and I was back to what we call normal here.
  But I brought home that leaf. And some other souvenirs like menus and papers in French. I glued them on paper and then added them to the bottom of a glass tray which is hanging in my bedroom. It is a reminder of a quieter time. And when I see that leaf I think of a way to enjoy life by appreciating the small things.