And so I sat with her for a while,  told her how beautiful she was,  despite the years and the destructive fire. She will be, and is, glorious, rising from ashes which made us weep.
I told her we must be grateful for second chances, for new beginnings. It will be difficult,  painful,  arduous, but the final outcome will be a Renaissance of her greatness. So blessed she is to have people surrounding her,  supporting her, scaffolding her, loving her. So blessed I am to have had the same experience– supportive loved ones who would not let me crumble.

Notre Dame de Paris, great cathedral, monolith of hope. No, we will not allow her to crumble.
I’ll come back to her soon. I will see her flying buttresses soar as they always have, above the rose garden and through rain, sun, fire, or worse, and I will share with her another moment, another tear, another smile.