'All the promises I made to my father' - Ioana Maria Stancescu

This book is a symphony of roles. The roles of being a mother, a daughter, a wife, a lover. All are minutely presented in this book. We live in a world where roles are assumed since birth, and it felt quite encouraging to watch these roles in full deconstruction.

Intermezzos constantly occur with Ada, the main character, presenting her memories. There is so much frankness, gentleness, and beauty in the way they are recounted!

And all of the above have as background, even though low-pitched sometimes, a cruel, frightening disease that ruthlessly cripples the body and soul.  

This is no book to be read on a reading spree because it has a lot of truths to share with the reader and hastiness would only truncate the reading experience. Also, this is no easy-to-read book because one would feel, here and there, a deep sadness and a hint of pain. But this is a book for those that still believe in good, well-written, honest and, above all, transforming literature.

Why did you become a writer?

There is something about this question that leads to the idea that one can choose. Well, I did not choose. It just happened that I became a published writer. But I must say that before that I was a storyteller.

I guess I interfered the most in the process of becoming a published writer when I sent emails to various publishing houses and tried to make my work get published. That’s really my part in ‘becoming’ a writer, for it is here when I had an active role.

While the texts… well… I do believe writers are vessels. They just are the means through which the meeting between a story and its readers is facilitated.

Thus, I come before you and write: I did not become a writer. I was a writer far earlier than I could account for. It’s just, I had no idea, that’s all. But it’s been a while now since  I know. And I am.

Fruit

As they say, good people are repaid with good fortune. So here we have the two peapods that grew on our balcony.

My husband believed in these plants and now we see these peapods as clear result.

Wonder

When one holds a wonder in their palms, it casts a light upon one, too. And one vibrates to the very core so much that there is nothing left to be felt. Or is it actually that one feels everything?! All the love, all the care, all the cuteness, all the hope and beauty of this world.

To all those wonders out there that save us because they act as reminders that we are, first and foremost, beings that feel.

The latest in beauty standards

I recently had some blood tests run. One morning, I went to the lab and I observed to the letter the indications about not eating or drinking something (which is really hard for me to do, because usually I drink a lot of water).

Arrived at the lab, I gave the doctor’s note to the receptionist and then waited for my turn.

A nurse came and invited me into an office. I took the chance and kindly asked her to draw blood only from my right arm because I was still traumatized from the last time when they could not find the vein in my left one.

The nurse agreed quite cheerfully and then she showed the labels with my name to be put on the vials with my blood. She placed the tourniquet just above my elbow and just before starting she told me:

‘Well, I give it to you, that’s a beautiful vein!’ 

The importance of being funny

Yes, funny is important.

I learned that early in life, listening to my mom telling compelling stories.

Back then I had no idea about the meaning of the word compelling. But I did realize that there was something in the way she told the story that made me cherish the experience and constantly looking for her to tell another story (or even the same story because she would tell it so well).

I guess I always tried to replicate my mom’s storytelling skills. And if I think about it better, I guess I experience a lot of joy and take a lot of heart from making others laugh.

Concluding with Carl W. Buehner’s quote, people will forget what you did or say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Realization

Well, not my realization. But I still am proud. My husband takes care of the plants in the plant pots and they have repaid him.

Let’s rejoice!

 

P.S. And I confirm that the radishes are tasty.