What Chess teaches us about Sacrifice?

Today's P52 theme is sacrifice. 

Playing chess teaches us a lot about sacrifice.  I remember as a little girl in Primary (grade) school, spending endless lunchtimes playing this marvellous game.  I played with my friend Robert, who's Dad had taught us both to play chess.  We played chess in school, we played at each others houses.

We had games that went on for hours.  Sometimes way past our bedtime, and the board was put away, with the pieces in position, and started up again, the next time we were together.  Othertimes, games were ruthless and over within moments, a casual mistake leading to an immediate checkmate.  Sitting by the fire on cold days, or basking in the hot summer sun.  I even bought a magnetic chess board, and the games continued in the car, in the caravan, on park benches.

Unknowningly as we played we were learning about life, strategy, knowledge, prediction, winners and losers -sacrifice, and war. 

Finding out how far we were prepared to go to win, who we would sacrifice to get there, who was worth sacrificing - a pawn, a rook, a Queen.  These lessons learnt at the chess board were unwittingly grounding for life.  Even today I remember that those that we think are numerous, and not really that important - the pawns - making them easy to sacrifice, can actually be game changers.  Not only on a board but in real life.

I had gone to take photographs of my friend's grandchildren.  When I got there, their Papa was teaching them to play chess, the concentration of their faces, as they struggled with the complexities of the game, was amazing.  I literally had my camera out in seconds, and was taking shots.

Chess is a game, that I feel every child should learn to play.  Sadly I don't play as much as I would like to today, and am I am little rusty, but I look forward to the day when I will play again.

On Friday's I also love to join up with the Gypsymama Lisa Jo, and just write, freestyle for five minutes, today's prompt is goodbye.

I spend so much time saying goodbye.  Getting onto planes, and leaving.  People, I've known for years.  People I have only met. 

Life is sporadic. 

There are wonderful times of celebration when we get together.  Seeing each other after years have passed, only to find, that actually, we could have hung out yesterday.  A wedding in New York.  A trip to the Giants Causeway.  Roadtrips to Donegal.

That connection, that deep friendship is there.  But these brief moments, when it is experienced, that friendship full of shared stories. 

I think of friends across the ocean.  I think of friends across the sea.  I think of friends at the other end of the country.  I think of friends who I rarely get to see.

I think of university ...

Late night trips to the A&G, or walks on the beach at midnight.  Crazy Friday's, and sleep overs.  Driving in my little mark 3 Turquoise Fiesta with its go faster strips, and bullet hole, along twisting country lanes. Singing at the top of our voices to the Marvericks.  Or sitting in silence but for the recorded sound of Jacuqline du Pre's cello.  Heated debates, and opinions.  Lunches that ended at breakfast, two days later.  Long and deep conversations that went on to early light.  Breakfast in the hotel after a night of dancing.  Cooking dinner together.  Trolley's in the street.  Dinner parties.  Seeing how many shots we could do with straight faces.  Smashing plates on our heads - the secret is follow through.  Late night noodles, and canoodles.  Bottle walls, and curries.  Essay crisises, and studying.  Burning the midnight oil.  Any excuse to get dressed up - having a dinner party, well let's make it black tie.  Champage breakfasts.  Ulster Fries for 100 people.

Laughter. Tears. Distance. Death. Friendship. Memories. Space. Time.

How these memories make us laugh. 

We grow older, we move, we travel, we mix it up a bit.  We have new stories. 

We connect online.  We skype. We visit. We write. We email.  We share. We talk on the telephone.

We say hello.

We say goodbye.

Why don't you join me today, either with photographs or writing?

Have a great weekend.

That's it for now...

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable 

Celebrations and Goodbyes

I was struck by the words 'life is celebrations and goodbyes' as I sat at dinner lastnight.  My friends had arrived for less than 24 hours, and it was a celebration to see them, I was beyond excited, my heart was soaring.  As we chatted and laughed throughout the day, I was there in every moment, fully present.  At dinner as we got up to leave the restaurant, I looked out at the Atlantic Ocean, these words, from this beautiful song by one of my favourite songwriters 'Luka Bloom' echoed in my head.

"Everything comes and goes like the tides

Life is celebration and goodbyes"

How precious are those moments when we connect with friends.  How special!  They must not be taken for granted because they - these moments - often come few and far between.  Life really is moments of celebration when we are together, and goodbyes, when we part.  We each live our own story, often far from each other, but still in touch, knowing that the bond we share will be the same when we see each other, whether the distance has been days, months, or even years.

My life is so very full of 'celebrations and goodbyes' because of where we all live, and this song is bittersweet, it brings to me the joys of celebrations and the bitter taste of goodbye, but it put into music everything I feel, and even now as I write this in the stillness of the study, the melody lingers in my mind, dancing on the harmony.

I was blessed to go to a university where we all lived in a tiny town, in the North East of Scotland - St Andrews.  Everyone lived within walking distance of each other. To be able to leave one's home, and see a pal in their's within moments, was magical.  To know that you would meet a chum on the street walking to lectures, or that you could hang out without having to drive anywhere (although we did drive places, often from one end of the street to the other) was amazing.  What a joy to live in such community with people, what a special time.  A time where friendships were forged, memories created, and life shared.  I look back now and smile, knowing that this time, may never come again, but what a joy it was.  

Now we live scattered across the earth, and this ability to just 'call in' has gone forever.  The telephone, letters, and now even more os Facebook, and the internet make friendships stay alive.  They give us the power to connect, and touch each other, and I am thankful. Of course it is not the same as seeing the person, but sometimes we have to make do with second best, because hearing their voice, to picking up a letter they have sent are moments in my day, when my heart fills with a deep peace, and joy.

There are times when my heart bleeds I miss my friends so much, and none of these means just seems enough, but, but then there are times like this weekend, when I see them, and I celebrate.  The connection, the friendship, the bond - and I say THANK YOU.

"Everything comes and goes like the tides

Life is celebration and goodbyes"

I adore this song of Luka's and had to share the words with you, as well as the video, I hope you enjoy them.

JUNE - Luka Bloom

Whitethorn blossom just comes floating down
Down on the June breeze
Like summer snow on the ground
Long grass sways from side to side
The creatures are coming in here
They're coming in from far and wide
Here where everything changes and grows
Here where everything changes and grows
Here where everything changes and grows
They come to see the seasons different shows

Ah but June, I love the way you pull me in
June, I love your heat upon my skin
June, I love the way you pull me in
To your midsummer feeling

I hear the long grass shuffling in the June breeze
Smell the lavender and the catmint leaves
Everything comes and goes like the tides
Everything comes and goes like the tides
Everything comes and goes like the tides
Life is celebrations and goodbyes

Ah but June, I love the way you pull me in
June, I love your heat upon my skin
June, I love the way you pull me in
To your midsummer feeling

Wild rose and the foxglove side by side
Opening up to welcome butterflies
June
June
June...

Luka Bloom

That's it for now

Nics

salt and sparkle = life remarkable