With his customary flourish the country gentleman had telephoned yesterday to invite us for dinner and a swim this evening. The primary intention of the congregation was however quite patently removed from either food or water. Rather it focussed entirely and quite unreservedly so upon the initial gander at His Lordship’s new granddaughter Sofia. She and her parents are visiting from the South Pacific.
It is no use suggesting to me that the perfect family does not exist! Whatever possible rationality there may once have been for that particular dilution is I can assure you now completely lost on me. The air of utter civility and purpose deriving from this evenings foregathering shall forever confirm in my mind that I have indeed unwittingly stumbled upon that ideal family. Erin and Julian have accomplished unquestionably that very feat! As enormous a bouquet as it may be to throw in their direction, the achievement of this pinnacle is to me as real as the historic chronicles of a Royal Princess, Prince Charming and Happily-ever-After. I naturally regret imposing upon them this weighty mantle of undiminished approbation but frankly I can think of no others more sublimely prepared for this or a more closely resembling granular fidelity.
It is the very nature of aging to allow oneself to become thrilled by the possibility of endless achievement in the hands of the young. When that goal is attained without apparent reservation, there is little of the mind or body persuasion to alter that view. Gusto for the future is the privilege of on-lookers!
At the outset I may appear to have pooh-poohed the invitation for dinner and a swim. Nothing could be further from the truth. The meal was nonpareil! The swim, divine! Without a doubt this was a glorious summer evening in the Northern Hemisphere.
SOFIA – What’s in a name?
Exuding sophistication and beauty, Sophia is a classic Greek name meaning “wisdom.” The name was put on the map by St. Sophia, celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Church, and was popularized by European royalty during the Middle Ages. … Origin: Sophia is a Greek name meaning “wisdom.”
Sofia, my tiny beauty, please explain to me your name,
Tell me why they call you so and if you’re named from fame?
Tell me how to capture that magic in your smile;
Tell me what to say to you when puzzling all the while!
Sofia, my precious little one, allow me just to say
I haven’t any better name to encapsulate the dray
That is your nomenclature, the name they’ve given you,
I wager all else is mystery, as fine as morning dew!
Sofia, my tender treasure, there’s nothing that can bridge
The gap between your settling look and the names beyond the ridge!
For you alone deserve the glam of being our little star;
There’s no one else comes even close, you’ve beat them all by far!
Bill Chapman & Denis Arial
Heron House, Village of Ashton, Ontario
August 5th, 2021
