She was one of my wife Jody’s best friends.  After Jody died, Arlene remained my friend.  And here she comes … across the ocean for the first time.  Europe!  Gent!

I get to have my second Canadian visitor.  Tomorrow at 9:00 am or so, we will hug each other in Brussels Airport.  It’s been four years.

Who is Arlene now?  Who is Bruce now?  What are we becoming?  All part of the mystery.

I want Arlene to be happy here.  What does she want to do?  What spots does she want to see?  Whatever the answers, may they be sprinkled with conversation … between us, and also with the wide variety of humanity that we’ll see in Gent, that she’ll see in Amsterdam and in Normandy.

My wish is that Arlene’s eyes open wide … drinking in the ancient buildings, the outdoor terraces, the languages, the cultures – the life!

Will Arlene get a glimpse of the home I feel here?  I intend that she does.  May she fly high through the new, the old and the forevermore.

Welcome, my friend