A Perfect Day

I'm glad I spent it with you

On the evening before we returned to Jamaica, I watched a film with my son, on his recommendation. It is called “Perfect Days” and is directed by Wim Wenders and co-written by him and Takuma Takasaki. The actor Kōji Yakusho won Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival, last year. You can find it on Amazon Prime, and elsewhere. The film reaches into your heart with its simplicity; it is meditative, calm, sometimes quirky and funny, never sentimental. The music (played on old cassette tapes) is a delight. Please try to watch it - you will not regret the experience.

I had my Perfect Day recently in England.

Why was it perfect? Because we were all together - family that is, three generations. Sitting in my sister’s spacious kitchen, we conducted multi-layered, criss-crossing conversations. We were loud. The children - four small human beings whom we were meeting for the first time - were on their own wavelengths, separate but loosely connected to what the adults were doing and saying. A grand-niece created a “Cocktail Hour” menu (I ordered lemonade, and when it was delivered, it was pure, unsweetened lemon juice). We sat in the garden when the sun came out, we ate, we drank. The three dogs, each belonging to a different family member, were also in their own world, of course, taking an interest in any crumbs and scraps that were available.

And outside, my sister’s garden stood in its gloriousness. Bumble bees climbed into foxglove flowers, and backed out again laden with pollen. A flock of goldfinches flitted from the bird feeders, beneath which a stately blackbird and some wood pigeons pecked at the richness of green. Roses scattered over a brick wall. Occasionally, a young rabbit emerged from the flowerbed, creating great excitement among the dogs.

So - what is perfect? Do people make it a perfect day, or is it the place, or a combination of beautiful factors that all fall together? In the Wenders film, every day is perfect in some way. In that idyllic countryside setting, however we felt it as individuals, my family and I all knew it was one of those special days we will never forget. Lou Reed sang: “It’s such a perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you…”

Simple as that. I am glad for that perfect day.