Louisville Family
Our daughter and her partner are expecting a baby girl. Kai is to be born in January. I am awed that the child is to bear my mothers name as her middle name. My mother was a extraordinarily courageous and kind woman. She would have been greatly honored to have her name given to the grandchild.
Our visit began with an evening meal at Dittos on Bardstown Road. Dittos symbolizes my sense of Louisville, a city embracing the culture of the old South, noblesse oblige with a hip 21st century vibe of self-awareness. Dittos is visually striking with lighting and sculpture that invites the guest into an atmosphere of whimsy. The fusion cuisine menu offered crab cakes with a mac & cheese side dish. The flavor exceeded my expectation.
The best element of the evening was conversation with our daughter and her partner anticipating the challenges of motherhood. No question that a lot of work is involved with the privilege of the nurture and development of another human being. I sensed the hand-off of one generation to another happening before our eyes. This is something sacred and mundane, a paradox that eludes proper description.
At the end of our meal a gentleman came by our table and asked if everything was Ok and if there was anything else that he could do for us. I knew that he was the owner. As is my habit I responded that I’d like world peace. I meant the response to be ironic and provocative. A good meal with loved ones is a experience of the peace that is quite rare otherwise. The gentleman then told us a story of his family that illustrated his conviction that the peace of the world starts with what is closest at hand for each of us. He told of his daughter who recently returned from a church retreat. When asked about her experience of the retreat she responded to her father, “Dad I was able to see Jesus in everyone.”
The story completed our visit at Dittos.