Death is part of life, although we prefer not to dwell on it for too long. Do you ever think about the soundtrack of your life? Every week a reader gives an insight into his final chord. Annemarie (52) lives in Medina Sidonia in Andalusia and runs a B&B there. She has a striking record in mind for her final chord.
Which song would you like to play at your own farewell?
“Ravine of Veldhuis and Kemper.”
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Why this particular number?
“Because of the courage that the song expresses. ‘Because the most beautiful flowers bloom right along the ravine and in order to pick them you have to dare to be afraid’, they sing and that message touches me. Because it is so very true. I I was raised with saving, security, building up a pension and being sensible, while I personally love adventure and travel. That conflicts quite a bit.
I have traveled a lot in my life, lived in Malta and London, but always with a permanent job at hand, and the necessary stress. I had dreamed of a B&B for so long, of the picture that every morning I open the shutters and look out on a field of flowers. In the corporate world in which I worked you are lived, while I wanted to determine my own course. There was always a reason not to do it. A new job, too little money or no partner. I didn’t want that anymore. I wanted to dare to be afraid, to pick the most beautiful flowers. And I did that.”
What does the song say about your life?
“The final push came in 2021, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. That shook me up a bit. Fortunately, we were there early and everything turned out fine, but I thought: I am now going to seriously follow my dreams. A year later I learned my met a friend through a dating app and it was love at first sight. He came to me with his two Labradors and never left. After about five months I asked how he would feel about living in Spain immediately good for both of us.
The first house we looked at was nothing, but soon afterwards Fokko called and said: ‘Stop what you are doing, click on this link, because this is it.’ He was right. Within a week the papers were signed and we had tentatively purchased a house even though we had known each other for six months. We had never lived together, because his house was in Zwolle and mine in Amsterdam.”
“I sold my apartment in Amsterdam to let go of that last bit of security.”
“Everyone said: what are you doing, but it felt like now or never. It’s just right. I sold my apartment in Amsterdam to let go of that last bit of security. There was always a job or a house waiting for me when I came back. Now I want to give it 100 percent.
We have been in our home for six months now and I am overjoyed that we have taken this step. In this village people still say hello to each other, the surroundings are beautiful and life feels different. The only thing we still have to learn is to get some rest, because if you want you can just work here for seven days. Every week we take an afternoon off to visit a town or take a walk on the beach. We still want to discover so much here.”
What do you dream of?
“At least another five years of living here. And Fokko asked me to marry him on New Year’s Eve, so I also have a wedding to arrange. We’ll see again in five years. Maybe we want a B&B in the mountains. I want keep dreaming and above all don’t get stuck. Now it’s about finding a balance and continuing to have fun, nice and achievable dreams, I think.”
What is your guilty pleasure?
“I always have all the episodes I leave and B&B Full of Love looked. I love it. First as inspiration and dream pusher, now just to enjoy. And sushi. I had three sushi shops on my street in Amsterdam, where I visited at least once a week. I haven’t really found it here yet. I can’t even find the ingredients so easily in this traditional Spanish village. As soon as I’m back in Amsterdam, the first thing I do is get sushi.”
What is your Final Agreement?
Which song should be played at your funeral? And what does that say about your life? If you would like to participate in this section, please email your story to [email protected]
