Friday, my friend passed away. So I haven’t been posting much here, and that’s okay. Some things just need space, and grief is one of them.
But this weekend, the weather whispered spring in the most gentle way, sunlight teasing through the trees, a sky so blue it felt like a deep breath. Both kids were at home, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that life doesn’t stop for sadness. It asks to be lived. So we lived.
Yesterday, we wandered through a nearby forest (more on that later this week). And today, we went to my place. The place I return to every time life gets heavy. The Japanese Garden in Hasselt [//]:# (!worldmappin 50.93413 lat 5.35605 long d3scr)
Now, if you’ve never been, let me set the scene. It’s the largest Japanese Garden in Europe, a gift from Japan to Belgium back in the ’80s, symbolizing friendship between the two nations. And honestly, you can feel that peace the moment you step in. The garden was designed with the principles of a strolling garden, meaning every step you take leads to a new perspective.
For me, it’s always been about the water. The waterfalls. The koi ponds. The gentle streams weaving through carefully placed stones. Water doesn’t hold on. It just flows. And every hard period in my life, I tend to come here to be reminded of that.
So, we walked. We crossed the stepping stones (some people walked gracefully; others like me, almost tested the water temperature). We listened to the waterfalls, their steady rush feeling like a reset button for the soul. We rang the Peace Bell, because if the world needs anything right now, it’s more of that.
And, of course, we just were. Enjoying life. Enjoying each other’s presence.
Grief and joy can exist in the same breath. Today, we chose to celebrate life. And I can recommend it.
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Love the lakes in the garden.
Yes absolutely 💯. I’ve been sitting there for quite some time today
In times ago in each capital city of Cuba there was a Japanese garden.The atmosphere was very beautiful.
Too bad that like everything, that has also been lost
That’s too bad, I think it we still have it for diplomatic reasons more than cherishing the garden
Grieving the loss of a loved one can be really heavy. I can only buy imagine how you are feeling. I'm glad you went to this beautiful park to unwind.. please stay. Strong
Thanks for your sweet support ❤️
Beautiful
Thank you 🙏
Glad to know you are taking steps to address grief. We all grieve differently and yes time and space needed.
Your friend is around so long we remember her and honor her memory in whatever way based on individual interaction with her.
Come back stronger.
Thank you I will ❤️
Every Japanese-themed garden has a special charm.
Thank you for reminding me of places like this that I have visited and enjoyed!
You are welcome 🙏
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That is a beautiful and special place indeed, and I see why you return there so often. Water, especially moving water, does very much help in times like this, so I'm glad that you were able to spend some time there. Joy and grief can indeed exist at the same time, as I can attest. I wish you and the family a luminous Momday, Nathalie. 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙
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Thank you my friend 🙏
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