Khalil Gibran ~ On Marriage

Today Jaffa and I are celebrating a very special family wedding day 

with my son and his beautiful bride 

....Khalil Gibran On Marriage....

When Almitra spoke again and said, "And what of Marriage, master?"

And he answered saying:

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Sunday WW1 Remembered...

World War 1 Silk Postcards for Valentine Sunday

Silk embroidered greetings cards first became popular in the early twentieth century when they appeared for the first time at the Great Exhibition of 1900.

However, it was during the years of the First World War that postcards sent by soldiers to their mothers, sisters and sweethearts became very popular. 

Created by the clever embroiderers of France and Belgium the cards were created from small scraps of silk and lace and used as souvenirs. Inevitably, as demand for the cards grew, manufacturing was moved to Paris factories where it is estimated that over 10 million silk embroidered postcards were produced.The postcards were cheaply made and sold for just a few francs.

The postcards, with their cheery pictures of birds and flowers were sent home to cheer the ones left behind, giving no clue to the horror that was being experienced by the soldiers on the Western Front.

©Digital Images

These photographs and silk postcard belong to our family archive.

The WW1 Silk was sent home by my husband's grandfather, Sam, when he spent time 

in  Poperinghe. 

The little card insert simply states " Best Kiss"

The colours of the silk are as vibrant as the day they were stitched and act as a poignant

 reminder that we should cherish our loved ones, wherever they may be.

My best kiss to you all on Valentine's Day

~***~