Ordinary people

A friend of ours died suddenly and unexpectedly yesterday.

A chest infection kept me still and inactive so I listened to many of the visitors who came with shocked expressions to see and to comfort and to help in any small way. I watched those who had got there, the first responders, friends of many years. It was they who called the doctor and funeral home. I watched the nearly adult children's god father reassure them that he would fetch them from the plane. I watched others make and pour endless tea. I watched still others make beds for the sudden influx of people. I watched them step back and give a shocked and grieving wife something to do. I watched others bring milk and tea and cake and beer and wine and snacks (the flights arrive late in the evening.......there is going to be a lot of waiting around).

So I watched ordinary people do ordinary loving things well and with a fullness of heart.

In the grand scheme of things not a big deal but down at the frontline of life, a difference that may make it possible for resilience to sprout and grow in the face of overwhelming grief.

Happy Feast Day

To all those who are Jesuits or who are part of a Jesuit family in some way

Happy Feast Day

Makorokoto (congratulations and felicitations in the vernacular)

Snow in Africa

People who aren't African's tend to think of Africa as a hot and dry and dusty place. Indeed we often get "foreign" visitors who toast is "dust in Africa". If you watch the news, any time you like there is some story lurking there of famine in Africa. Pictures of starving children are likely to tug at the world's heartstrings and, thank heaven, produce funds to provide food for these mites.

Along with the vast migrations of the Serengeti in Kenya, gorilla's in the equatorial rain forest and young thugs in pickup's committing horrific crimes and violence are iconic staples of how the rest of the world sees us. Just as we see the First World as a golden shining place of riches and better, safer lives. True but not the whole story.

A picture that does not commonly spring to mind is of snow in Africa. A friend phoned this morning to say that she wasn't going out as the snow that has fallen in parts of South Africa has snowed her in and besides it is too damn cold as our houses are really not built with this kind of weather in mind. She was quite grumpy but said her children who have never seen snow before were having a great time outside with snow ball fights and building snowmen and sledding on her kitchen trays. In the mean time while it isn't snowing here in Harare Zimbabwe and is not likely to (we would really know that there was something seriously wrong with the worlds weather systems if it snowed here) it is fresh and cold.

Chased

"restore the years that the locust has eaten"

This verse has chased me through my prayers and my dreams and odd moments of stillness and in the whirl of activity for a few months. I didn't realise at first that it was actually a bible verse ..... I wondered knowing my mothers stories and my own experience (as a young child) of the devastation that a horde of locusts can cause where this thought came from and who might restore what the locust had taken. When it occurred to me that this might be biblical it was easy to track Joel down. His description of locusts destroying completely on the move is eerily familiar.

My spiritual director is away for nine months.

Where do I turn for help in discerning what being chased by this verse means? I guess I have to trust that as the verse comes to me, so will understanding and enlightenment.

Tonight I pray for light in my darkness.

What do you say?

What do you say to a young man in your confirmation class who says matter of factly to you "my father murdered my mother"?

I knew it was true but didn't know what he knew.

Shocking to hear such words from a teenager.

Words failed me so I hugged him instead.

Check up

I have had a check up with my doctor today.

Wonderful.

After fifteen years of dealing with ill health and setback after setback I guess I was not expecting too much in the early days of treating this epilepsy. I couldn't have been more wrong. I had a battery of tests earlier this week and today learned the results. It is all good. Almost incomprehensible but oh so enjoyable.

I left walking on air, grinning like a crazy person.

I can do this!

And I am moved to bubbling excited gratitude.

Growing up

My sons are out today.

Both surfaced early, Vetboy to go and assist with a dressage show and Small to go and referee. I expect neither home till later this evening when they will appear full of stories of their day and starving hungry. I have prepared for the hunger on a cold winters night with macaroni cheese and rice pudding with stewed fruit. I look forward to their return and their stories.

I have also looked after a friends two year old, "King Julian" of Madagascar fame, this afternoon. I forget surprisingly easily how active toddlers are. King Julian and I did have so much fun and had toys strewn across the kitchen/library by the time we were finished playing. For both of us it was a fun laughter filled afternoon and for his young mother hopefully welcome healing space for herself.

Now that he is gone home giggling with his mother and my kitchen/library restored to rights I reflect how quickly children grow, from baby to toddler to independent youngsters. They grow by the Grace of God, and I have been blessed to participate with food and attention and love.