Time for us to get together! Two events this week will bring us together. One in the broader construct of things and one on the personal. Summer is here and so is the excitement! Tune in…

This Fourth of July comes with a touch of heaviness. The man whose hand held up the highest flag is now lying low, strained and stressed. Fred is recuperating slowly. Things are far from well now. This year his friends have planned to come over to his place. Fred wanted them to go out and celebrate as they had been doing all these years. But they were insistent that they had already planned to be with him. “More than where we are, it’s important that we are together,” they assured him. Fred was touched by their gesture, but even a man of his optimism couldn’t help but turn the coin over and look at the flip side of it.

“You know what Bob,” he told me over coffee at his place, “I think they feel that I might not be around next year!” I immediately replied that it was definitely not so. “I know that, but there’s this part in me that keeps telling me,” he sounded disappointed that he couldn’t go out this Fourth of July. I assured him that it was just in his mind. I reminded him that his friends have been with him through the layers of life, and it’s only normal that they would like to continue in the same vein when he’s faced with tough challenges. Fred seemed reassured, but the problem with self-made men is that they never get convinced easily. I hope he sees the nice gesture of his friends and forgets about his apprehensions. Here’s to your spirit, Fred, happy Fourth of July!

The big fat wedding is next week! Frank and Eleanor, both past their prime really, are going to start off a new chapter in their lives. This could well be the most important and interesting phase in their lives. Frank was telling me the other day that he has been waiting for this moment to arrive for a long time now. “You know Bob,” he told me, “despite these fast times, there’s a charm in waiting for your love!” I nodded my head in assent. I know what he’s trying to say. When you are in love, you don’t really care how long it might take you to be with your significant other. The only thing you know is that there is bliss at the end and that keeps you going through the trials and tribulations.

Eleanor on her part, took her time to make up her mind. She still loves her dead husband, Mr. Bradley. She told me more than often that his place in her heart cannot be substituted. “Love is not substitution,” Eleanor told me a day not long ago, “it’s very unique. What you feel for a person cannot be replicated on another.” I asked her if she loved Frank. “Of course I do!” Eleanor laughed, “but that doesn’t mean I can ever forget Mr. Bradley.” I’m sure Frank knows that too. Eleanor would never keep it away from him. Frank has accepted that very well as part of her. After all what is love if we cannot accept our partner as they are? Stay tuned for the grand wedding of this fabulous couple next week!

With the summer right on us, it’s time to take care not only of yourself, but also of your pets. We can make summer a lot more comfortable for our pets. To ensure that they have a cool time, we have to be careful about their movements. I remember I took Kong out for a walk in the summer once. Though it was cooler at that time of the day, he still fell ill. He was dehydrated and the vet later told me that it was a heat stroke that the poor bloke had to suffer. All because I was not careful with him. Since then, I make it a point to monitor all the factors before taking Kong out in summer.

To those who take their pets out in cars, I would suggest that you don’t leave them out in the car for long lengths of time. They feel claustrophobic. If you are taking them out for a swim, make sure you do not take it for granted that your dog is a natural swimmer. Sometimes they get bogged down by undertows or other hazards. Be close to them. Also, try not to allow them to drink the water they are swimming in. The best way to do that is to provide them with fresh, clean drinking water in good amounts. Take good care of your pets and your summer will be lit with the appreciative wags of their tails!

Crisis is another side of love. It presents itself in many facets. It comes up when you don’t expect. It tests your love, it tests your belief in your partner, it goes off only to leave you strengthened. Kate and Henry were put to such a test recently. I don’t want to give away what exactly brought about this crisis. But it stabbed at their relationship like a sharp knife. Kate, who’s already had a break up not very long ago, was extremely worried in those couple of days. Kate tried to put some sense into what Henry was thinking. But that didn’t help much. In reply, Henry said some really nasty things and Kate was deeply hurt.

Realizing that he overshot his limit, Henry made a call to apologize. Kate was not very keen on giving in so easily. Kate is not easily offended, but when she does take it to heart, you have had it. Henry assured her that he loves her. After long sessions on the phone and internet, things are okay between the two of them. Megan told her that there was no need to worry in the first place. But Kate persisted in her worries. “These things break open very abruptly, Bob,” Kate told me later, “I had to make sure we’re home.” I understand her completely. It does feel unsettling when something precious to you is lying out in the open at the mercy of forces beyond your control.

I chose this Kahlil Gibran quote, despite the fact that it has been quoted very often. The reason is simple: it’s bang on. Here’s it for you: “If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don’t, they never were.”