There are times when life grants you little moments of satisfaction. Knowing that you get all the more wiser after trudging through a series of setbacks or taking some wrong turns. However fleeting these moments are, sometimes they are a little too fragile to hold on to and always too easy to be overlooked. Taken for granted. Someone once told me that I should list down at least one thing in life I should be thankful for whenever I’m at my happiest. Perhaps, until another wave of obstacles comes rolling, there’s at least this list to remind me, to carry me through harder days to come.

We are having superb summer weather lately with temperatures over the days rarely dipped below 30°C with cloudless blue sky to boot. Perfect days to be out and about. With the World Cup going on for the past few weeks which made summer in Germany all the more worth experiencing, especially when the German team played. We were lucky enough to discover that there was going to be the annual Schlossbeleuchtung (literally means illumination of the castle) going on in Heidelberg, held twice in summer and another one in autumn. The balmy midsummer night was a perfect setup for the event. Some lucky ones would enjoy the event on board their boats of all shapes and sizes, which were already docked during the early evening in front of the old bridge where fireworks were set to dazzle. The more mortal beings would have to make do with the splendid view of the castle from the riverbank facing the castle.The excitement began when the lights all around the castle were turned off and the castle began to glow and simmer in red, as if it was burning, as a remembrance that the castle was once destroyed. For fifteen minutes, the night sky around the castle were lighted up with fireworks. I was utterly bedazzled. My glorious summer day climaxed with a wonderful display of fireworks. A girl can never wish for more.

Summer is emanating its irresistible charm on me. There are blue skies to warm the heart and ice cream to cool off the heat. Plenty of juicy red strawberries to sweeten the days and succulent cherries to tease the senses. The ecstasy of feeling cool water on the skin in the pool under the scorching evening sun with the peaceful stillness of balmy summer nights to wrap up the days. All bundled up in a complete package called happiness-from-within.

I was to be the maid of honour of a best friend’s wedding. It was wonderful, a day filled with tears of joy and laughter. The night before the wedding, I was looking for a poem to dedicate it to the newly weds. I googled up in the Internet and found this one from Goethe which I liked the most.

Nach der Trauung
Ihr seid nun eins, ihr beide,
und wir sind mit euch eins.
Trinkt auf der Freude Dauer
ein Glas des guten Weins!
Und bleibt zu allen Zeiten
einander zugekehrt
durch Streit und Zwietracht werde
nie euer Bund zerstört.

I thought I was tough enough to hold back the tears but it was a darn bad idea attending a wedding without waterproof mascara!