THE PRINCE OF LILIES

While vacationing in Crete, I visited the mighty birth cave of the supreme god Zeus and the Palace of Knossos, which is over 4,000 years old. At the latter, the guide showed us, among other things, a fresco titled “The Prince of Lilies.” 

It was only later that I realized... a sign? My first favorite fairy tale from childhood was “Thumbelina”, in which a swallow rescues the girl from the frogs and moles and carries her off to a warm land amidst the lilies, where she finds her prince.

I once read that one’s first favorite fairy tale shapes the life that follows; the first great stories we encounter at a tender age likely have a profound influence… 

I had just broken up (with a guy who fell into the “frog” category?), but the person who was my closest friend at the time didn’t seem to like lilies…

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Liiliate prints

Kreetal puhates külastasin ka peajumal Zeusi võimast sünnikoobast ja üle 4000 aasta vana Knossose paleed. Viimases näitas giid meile muu hulgas freskot nimega “Liiliate prints”.

Alles hiljem taipasin, et.. märk? Mu lapsepõlve esimene lemmikmuinasjutt oli Pöial-Liisist, kus pääsuke päästab tüdruku konnade-muttide juurest ning viib ta soojale maale liiliate keskele, kust ta leiab oma printsi. 

Olen kunagi kuskilt lugenud, et elu esimene lemmikmuinasjutt inspireerib edasist elu, õrnas eas avaldavad esimesed suured lood ilmselt suurt mõju…

Olin just lahku läinud (sinna konnade kategooriasse minevast tüübist?), aga mu selle hetke suurimale sõbrale liiliad vist ei meeldinud…

LIFE IS LIKE AN ICE CREAM

One evening, while out for a walk during my wonderful holiday in Crete, I spotted an illuminated sign in an ice cream shop that read: “Life is like an ice cream - enjoy it before it melts.”

After dinner at my favorite restaurant, I had been served slices of watermelon, delicious ice cream, and raki - and indeed... in the heat of the Greek night, it had to be enjoyed quickly. And that is exactly what I did; I savored both life and the ice cream to the fullest on that trip.

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Elu on nagu jäätis

Nägin sel samal õnnelikul Kreeta puhkusel ühel õhtul jalutades jäätisepoes valgusreklaami, mis ütles: “Elu on nagu jäätis, naudi seda, enne kui see sulab.”

Mulle oli toodud pärast õhtusööki lemmikrestos arbuusiviile, imehead jäätist ja rakit ning tõesti… Kreeka kuumas öös tuli seda kiirelt nautida. Tegin seda, nautisin nii elu kui ka jäätist sel reisil, täiega.

HAPPY LIFE

I was vacationing in Crete - alone for the first time - and discovered, to my surprise, that although I had thought things were great with my husband, being alone was even more enjoyable… and there were more men eager to pamper me!

One evening, I took the longer way home from a restaurant and bought a beautiful dress that had caught my eye earlier. The saleswoman packed it into a plastic bag with the words “Happy life” printed in large letters and handed it to me… It felt significant - that is certainly how I felt.

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Õnnelik elu

Olin esimest korda üksi Kreetal puhkamas ning avastasin oma üllatuseks, et ehkki olin arvanud, et mul oli abikaasaga tore, oli üksi veel meeldivam… ja poputavaid mehi rohkem

Ühel õhtul jalutasin restoranist koju suurema ringiga ja ostsin ära ilusa kleidi, mis oli mulle juba varem silma jäänud. Ja siis pakkis müüjanna selle kilekotti suure kirjaga “HAPPY LIFE” ja ulatas selle mulle… Tundus märgiline, nii ma tundsin jah.

YOU WANT IT, YOU CAN HAVE IT

A friend shared the text on the truck in an Instagram story: “You want it, you can have it.”

It resonated and felt like a sign to me too, because I had just found an amazing travel deal. So I booked the trip… and it turned out to be amazing. :)

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Sa tahad seda, Sa saad selle

Tuttav jagas Instagrami storys veoauto kastil nähtud teksti: “Sa tahad seda, Sa võid selle saada.”

Resoneerus ja tundus märk ka mulle, sest olin just leidnud imelise reisipakkumise. Nii et ostsin reisi ära… ja see osutus imeliseks :)

SUNNY GLADES

I had made some changes in my life and felt as if I had stepped out of the shadows into the sunlight.

As I opened the little book “God Speaks” that had come into my hands, I was met by a beautiful passage: “Do not think that suffering is the only way to My Kingdom. There are also sunny glades and flower-lined paths along which people’s hearts are drawn to Me. There are birds and laughter and butterflies, warm, invigorating summer air, and with them – with gentle companions and friends – one can walk the Path of Joy towards the Kingdom of God.”

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Päikeselised lagendikud

Olin teinud mõned elumuutused ja tunne oli, nagu oleks varjust päikesevalguse kätte astunud.

Näppu sattunud raamatut “Jumal kõneleb” suvaliselt kohalt avades vaatas vastu imeilus lõik: “Ärge arvake, et kannatus on ainus tee Minu Kuningriiki. On ka päikeselisi lagendikke ja lilledega ääristatud teid, mida mööda inimeste südameid Minu poole tõmmatakse. On linde ja naeru ja liblikaid, sooja elustavat suveõhku ning koos nendega - õrnade kaaslaste ja sõpradega - võib astuda mööda Rõõmuteed Jumalariigi poole.”

FEELING

A wise man once told me that our soul knows in advance what is coming, and signals it with a feeling. That is why some people always give off a strange feeling, even though today, here and now everything seems great… and there is an inexplicable good feeling near another. “It is worth going in the direction of a good feeling,” he advised.

The end of another summer in my lovely small town created a feeling of emptiness in my soul this time, so even though there were golden foil hearts scattered on my path when I came back from buying flowers, I still started to notice that every time I drive towards the capital, the energies start moving. Time to set off in that direction again?!

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Tunne

Üks tark mees ütles mulle kunagi, et meie hing teab ette, mis tulemas on, suurt plaani, ja annab tundega sellest märku. Sellepärast tekitab mõni inimene alati imelikku tunnet, ehkki täna, siin ja praegu on kõik justkui tore… ja teise lähedal on seletamatult hea tunne. “Tasub minna hea tunde suunas,” soovitas ta.

Järjekordne suve lõpp mu armsas väikelinnas tekitas hinges igatahes tühjusetunnet, nii et ehkki lilli ostmast tulles oli mu teele ikka kuldseid fooliumsüdameid puistatud, märkasin siiski, et juba pealinna poole sõites lähevad energiad iga kord liikuma ja elu käima. Aeg taas mõneks ajaks sinnapoole sättida?!

FOLLOW THE SIGNS

After a break, I started learning Spanish again with the Duolingo app. My eyes widened in surprise when I suddenly saw the text on the screen: “Tienes que seguir las senales.” - “You have to follow the signs.”

Good advice.

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Järgi märke

Võtsin pärast pausi uuesti ette Duolingo äpiga hispaania keele õppimise. Tegin rõõmsast üllatusest üsna suuri silmi, kui nägin äkki ekraanil teksti: “Tienes que seguir las senales.” - “You have to follow the signs.” - “Sa pead järgima märke.”

Hea soovitus.

HORSEBACK RIDING

According to a symbolic story I once heard, getting on a horse is a symbol of taking control of your own destiny. I received a gift certificate for my birthday, chose a horseback riding trip, and then kept putting it off. The questions of who to go with and finding a suitable time were complicated. Finally, over two years later in the summer, I made an appointment for the beginning of August and we went with a friend.

Of course, it began to seem very significant that, in addition to the fact that by that moment I had removed everything unnecessary from my life in terms of work and dedicated myself to writing books, I had also ended a relationship with a person, with whom I wasn’t able to spread my wings fully. Another coincidence: a week earlier I saw the name "Mikk" written at the bus stop and now I got a horse named Miku!

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Ratsutamine

Ühe kunagi kuuldud mõistujutu tulemusena seostub hobuse selga saamine minu jaoks oma saatuse alistamise ja enda kätesse võtmisega. Ma sain ümmarguseks sünnipäevaks elamuse kinkekaardi, valisin ratsamatka ja lükkasin seda siis muudkui edasi. Küsimused, kellega minna ja sobiva aja leidmine olid keerulised. Lõpuks üle kahe aastaa hiljem suvel panin augusti algusse aja ja läksime sõbraga.

See hakkas muidugi väga märgiline tunduma, et lisaks sellele, et olin tolleks hetkeks tööalaselt kõik liigse oma elust eemaldanud ning raamatute kirjutamisele pühendunud, läksin enne seda lahku suhtest, kus ei saanud täielikult oma tiibu sirutada. Veel üks kokkusattumus: nägin nädal varem bussipeatusesse kirjutatud nime “Mikk” ja nüüd sain Miku-nimelise hobuse!