Brett Illig
In search of the good, the true, and the beautiful. Here are some moments along the way.
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Sunrise Over Lake Maggiore, Italy
Last weekend we traveled to Lake Maggiore, Italy for a long weekend with our most recent family guests. We had a great time in the quaint little town of Cannero Riviera. Here are some shots I took one morning as I walked the quiet streets at sunrise.
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Weather, Writing, and Truth
As the emerging clouds roll in here in Switzerland, they not only threaten the last glimpse of sunlight but also your plans for the day. And yet, just as the clouds move in and the rain comes down, the sun can reappear just as quickly, and with it, unexpected opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. The weather in Switzerland is unpredictable to say the least. The surrounding Alps have the ability to both hold in and prevent weather patterns to emerge which result in the drastic changes that we experience. (A few of us even refer to the weather as being schizophrenic in nature) On one hand the ever-changing weather can…
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A “Religious” Walk Home
I had an intense “religious” experience one night while walking home from my small Swiss village of Worb. An experience that not only prompted childhood memories of my past but gave my present day desires and future longings a place and time to be experienced as well. The pathway home was lit only by the reflective light of the full moon which reminded me of walking down a dark Pennsylvania road as a boy wanting nothing more than to know who I was in relation to this big world. And yet at the same time, the dark Swiss countryside was calling me to be present not only to my desires…
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Stockhorn
It was great to have my parents come for a visit a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time exploring both some familiar and new places here in Switzerland. One of which was the mountain peak of Stockhorn. It was a beautiful day and my parents were able to cross a few things off of their bucket list, namely a gondola ride to the top of a Swiss Alp.
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The Bridge
Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness. -Pope Francis The first step, that very first step So hard but filled with such emotion Our feelings propel us to act They propel us to move So we step We walk “It’s better to feel pain than nothing at all. The opposite of love is indifference.” -The Lumineers, “Stubborn Love” Yet, the more that we walk Our feelings fail us They die We are exposed Our inner most identities cry out Our daily activities no longer hide our desires We are left with simply ourselves We are on the…
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Venice, Italy
A quick recap of our recent trip to Venice, Italy. We had a great time exploring this beautiful and truly unique city. Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. -Truman Capote
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Language of Love
Every morning at 6:08 a.m. the voice of my son can be faintly heard from his bedroom. “Mommy…can I have some milk, please?” The communication is straightforward and his words convey exactly what he wants. Living abroad gives you a new understanding of communication. Here in Switzerland, there are four languages spoken, all depending on the region you find yourself in. It can not sometimes help, especially when you don’t realize that you have crossed over into a different region. For instance, a simple “thank you” can be “Merci,” “Bitte,” or “Grazie.” More often than not, when the normal means of communication (language) breaks down, you sometimes have to resort…
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Good Parenting
To act or not to act. To speak or not to speak. To intervene or not to intervene. It seems that these are the thoughts that consume the mind of a parent every day. It is said that parenting is the toughest job in the world, and I would think that most parents who are engaged in the lives of their children would agree. For although we get plenty of advice from others and we instinctively draw our own parenting styles from those who have raised us, at the end of the day, when we are face to face with our own children, there simply isn’t a blueprint. It is…
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To Change or Not To Change
There was a moment when it hit me. Deep down I knew that it was never going to be the same again. Although things looked identical, my relationship to them had somehow changed. My friends were still there and yet my connection to them was different in ways that I could not explain. I was an 18 year old young man and home for the first time after leaving high school and I was confronted with the reality that I had changed. And this scared me. On one hand this community had brought me comfort and security, and now it no longer gave me the same feelings. On the other…
